In the final match before this international break, FC Barcelona manager Hansi Flick saw his side suffer a couple more injuries, and that now leaves him with a few fitness concerns as the next match draws closer. It’s only four days away! Marc Casado, Inigo Martinez and Andreas Christensen are all expected to miss out on the domestic league fixture on Thursday, which is a visit from Osasuna.
Let’s review and preview the Blaugranes situation.
FC Barcelona vs Osasuna FYIs
Kick: Thurs. March 27, 8pm, Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Catalonia
Barca Preview Material: Full Injury List Team News Starting XI Prediction
La Liga Standing: Osasuna 14th, 33 pts, Barca 1st, 60 pts
La Liga Form: Atletico Madrid DDLDL Barcelona WWWWW
Result Probability: Osasuna 11% Draw 15% Barca 74%
FC Barcelona Team News
Casado suffered substantial damage to his lateral cruciate ligament, but the good news is that it wasn’t severe enough to require surgery, so he’ll be back before the end of the season. Meanwhile Inigo Martinez is dealing with an issue/problem in his meniscus.
He is about a week or so away. The same goes for Andreas Christensen, who has been in a cycle of progress and regress with his foot problem.
Maybe this time he will get it right, for good. Otherwise the situation remains the same, with Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and Marc Bernal out until the summer, and beyond.
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 USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.