Garcia, Yamal start – How Barcelona are expected to lineup against Vissel Kobe | OneFootball

With the signing of Marcus Rashford finally complete, Barcelona’s squad-building appears to be complete as the club gear up for the new season.

The team has already arrived in Japan as part of the Asia pre-season tour and is set to lock horns with Vissel Kobe for their first friendly, later in the day.

We offer a small glimpse into what the Barcelona lineup may look like as they take on the Japanese outfit, which is the former club of Barcelona midfield legend Andreas Iniesta.

As such, Flick won’t make too many changes from the starting XI that ruled domestic football last season.

Defence

Interestingly, one small change could come in goal, with new signing Joan Garcia replacing Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who has been ruled out due to surgery and is no longer a part of Flick’s plans.

It will be interesting to see how Garcia fares in his first game for Barcelona. The Spaniard comes with a lot of promise and will be expected to become the club’s number one in the years to come.

Pau Cubarsi will continue to start ahead of Ronald Araujo (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The defensive line will largely remain the same with Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi occupying the central defensive roles ahead of Ronald Araujo.

However, Flick could make a series of changes at half-time, potentially paving the way for players like Araujo and Eric Garcia to feature.

Alejandro Balde will remain the club’s first-choice left-back while Jules Kounde, who is soon expected to sign a new contract, will continue to operate on the opposite flank.

Midfield

In midfield, Dani Olmo could start more often now that he is back to full fitness and doesn’t have any injuries to contend with.

Olmo will operate alongside Pedri and Frenkie de Jong in midfield, with Flick having players like Gavi, Marc Casado and even Marc Bernal as alternatives.

Both Gavi, Casado, in fact, may feature in the second half as Flick looks to get a better look at all the options he has at his disposal.

Attack

Moving into the attack, all the talk will be on Barcelona’s latest signing, Marcus Rashford, who has joined the club on loan.

Rashford might not start against Vissel Kobe (Photo courtesy: FC Barcelona official website)

However, the Englishman will merely be a backup for Flick next season, with the German coach likely to retain the tried and tested attacking formula of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski.

Rashford, though, could make his Barcelona debut in the second half of the game. The Englishman could operate in his desired left-wing position, with Ferran Torres replacing Lewandowski in the number nine slot.

It will be interesting to see how Rashford gels with his new teammates, knowing he will play a crucial role for the club next season.

Fermin Lopez is another player who could feature in the second half of the game, most likely on the right flank.