Do you want the bad news or good news first, FC Barcelona supporters? We’ll do bad- even though the hamstring injury to Inigo Martinez is less serious than was initially believed, he’ll still be out four to five weeks, according to manager Xavi. Also, midfielder Ilkay Gundogan missed training yesterday, due to an unspecified illness.
While Martinez is on the shelf for awhile, Gundogan is 50/50 to feature against Osasuna in the Spanish Super Cup semifinals on Thursday.
FC Barcelona vs Osasuna FYIs
Competition: Supercopa de Espana Semifinals
Kickoff: Thurs. Jan. 11, 8pm, Al Awwal Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
FC Barcelona Preview: Starting XI Prediction Team News
European football book authored by The Sports Bank Founder Paul M. Banks: go here
Fun Fact: this is a matchup of the Super Cup holders vs the Copa Del Rey runners-up
Barca Team News
Now for the good news, Pedri is in the travel party to Saudi Arabia, but he will be on managed minutes, Xavi emphasized. The Barca boss indicated that Pedri could see some minutes in the Supercopa finale, should the Blaugranes advance.
Elsewhere Joao Cancelo was fit enough to be included in the travel party, but it is unlikely that he’ll feature on the Arabian peninsula. Still, it’s good news in regards to his knee injury.
Finalmente, Marcos Alonso and Marc-Andre ter Stegen remain out with back injuries, while Gavi remains out injured until mid-to-late summer, with an ACL problem.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager 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’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.