Barcelona face Alaves in La Liga on Saturday, aiming to move top of the table following a 3-0 Champions League loss to Chelsea. Hansi Flick backs Lamine Yamal to recover from a tough outing against Marc Cucurella. Pedri and Raphinha are set to return for the home side.
Barcelona return to La Liga action against Alaves at Camp Nou, hoping to bounce back from their midweek 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League. The loss at Stamford Bridge saw Lamine Yamal struggle against Spain teammate Marc Cucurella, with the 18-year-old winger substituted in the 80th minute. Hansi Flick dismissed any concerns over Yamal's reaction, stating: “He’s okay, he feels good. Many players, when we change them, are not happy... Cucurella is one of the best full-backs in the world, very good in defence. It’s up to Lamine to take a step forward, to demonstrate his ability again. It’s now when you should show your best level.”
The Barcelona staff remain unconcerned by the Chelsea performance, attributing issues to Ronald Araujo's first-half red card and Pedri's absence. Flick added: “When we lose and concede three goals it’s easy to say it wasn’t a good game... We did a lot of things well, but we have to improve.” Araujo will miss the Alaves game due to a stomach bug, with Andreas Christensen deputizing. Pedri is available from the bench, while Raphinha returns to the starting lineup. Flick praised the Brazilian: “Of course, we’ve missed him. He is one of the most focused players on the team... He has a very positive impact on our game.” Fermin Lopez is out for two weeks.
Alaves sit 14th after losses to Girona and Celta Vigo, missing defender Facundo Garcés due to a 12-month FIFA ban. Barcelona have won the last five meetings, with Alaves unbeaten against them since 2016. A victory would place Barca above Real Madrid at the top for 24 hours. Predicted lineups include Yamal starting for Barcelona alongside Lewandowski, with Alaves featuring Boyé and Toni Martínez up front. The match kicks off at 3:15pm UK time.
Former Barcelona VP Toni Freixa urged caution with Yamal amid off-field scrutiny, saying: “If Lamine were my son I would tell him that he is not as good as they say he is. Keep working hard... Focus only on football.” He suggested selling Yamal if issues cannot be managed, emphasizing: “Everyone is passing through, the important thing is Barca.”