A difficult decision awaits Hansi Flick as key Barcelona full-back struggles with his fitness | OneFootball

After the November international break, FC Barcelona are set to return to La Liga action tonight as they face Celta Vigo. The Catalans will be looking to get a victory in this game, as they went into the break with a defeat to Real Sociedad.

However, getting a win against Celta will be easier said than done, as there are several challenges awaiting the Blaugranes ahead of this game.

For one, the Balaidos has never been an easy stadium for any visiting team, and this will remain the case tonight. But Hansi Flick’s difficulties will be compounded by the physical situation of some of his key players.

The German trainer has already confirmed that Lamine Yamal will not play in this match, and thus the Spaniard will join the other injured players like Marc Andre Ter Stegen, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal, Ferran Torres, and Ansu Fati on the sidelines.

In addition to these players, SPORT reports that the fullback Alejandro Balde is also not at his best physical level, and Flick will have to decide whether to play or rest him for tonight’s game.

The Spaniard has been facing some discomfort for the last few days and was unable to participate in the training session held on Thursday. He returned to train with his teammates on Friday, but Flick is not likely to take any risks, especially with a player who has a history of serious injuries.

Furthermore, Barcelona have a very tight schedule from tonight till the end of 2024, and until December 15, the Blaugranes will be playing a match every third day. This situation can also influence Flick to not take any risks with Balde.

However, Flick had not called up any fullbacks from the reserve team to train under him on Friday, and Gerard Martin will be his only option to replace Balde on the left flank. Thus, it remains to be seen whether he will play Balde or give Martin a start in this game.