When you’re on international break, it’s never too early to start previewing the next round of matches. FC Barcelona will host the Island Club in their next La Liga fixture, and they have a long list of injury concerns (Joao Cancelo, Pedri, Ferran Torres, Jules Kounde, Frenkie De Jong and more) entering into it.
We’ll start with Kounde, who has been one of the lead stories in world football this international period.
FC Barcelona vs UD Las Palmas FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. March 30, 20:00 CET, Olympic Stadium, Barcelona, Spain
Barca Preview Material: Injury List Team News Starting XI Prediction
La Liga Standing, Form: UD Las Palmas 11th, 37 pts, LLDDL FC Barcelona 2nd, 64 pts, WWDWW
Google Result Probability: UD Las Palmas 9% Draw 15% FC Barcelona 76%
FC Barcelona Team News
Cancelo, who is a doubt for this game due to physical discomfort (which some outlets report to be heart issues), publicly lashed out at his current parent club, Manchester City. He didn’t just commit his future to staying at Barcelona, no, he went a step further than that. He called Pep Guardiola a liar, and said MCFC itself was ungrateful to him.
In other words, Cancelo is making it so City absolutely HAVE TO sell him, finally.
Turning to another former Manchester City man, Ferran Torres has been out a couple months with a hamstring problem, but could be in the mix to feature here. Elsewhere Pedri (also a hamstring, quad) faces a race against the clock to be available here while Frenkie de Jong (ankle) is still a couple weeks away.
Elsewhere Andreas Christensen (Achilles tendon irritation) could be in contention for selection here while Jules Kounde went off after one hour of play, with France, during their international friendly against Germany.
He suffered an ankle issue, with some initial reports speculating that he may have been dealt a major blow with a sprain.
However, it was later clarified that he only suffered a knock, and thus he’s fine. He may even play for France in their next friendly. Finally, to sum up the Barca team news, Alejandro Balde (ruptured tendon in the hamstring) and Gavi (severe Anterior Cruciate Ligament tear) are out for the season.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.