Olmo and Yamal in, €50m player out — Predicted Barcelona line-up to face RCD Mallorca | OneFootball

FC Barcelona will be hoping to return to winning ways as they get ready for their next La Liga outing. This time around, Hansi Flick’s men will travel away to Mallorca in what is expected to be an intense fixture.

So far this season, Barcelona continue to fight for the top spot in the league but RCD Mallorca are also looking to fight for European spots at the moment.

For Barcelona, this match holds significant importance. First and foremost, Flick’s men need a morale-boosting win to reaffirm their confidence and belief that they can compete with any opponent.

Additionally, with Real Madrid also vying for the summit of the league table, Barça simply cannot afford any further slip-ups. As a result, Flick is likely to field a strong lineup to ensure they maximize their chances of success in this crucial outing.

Here is how Hansi Flick is expected to line up his team against Jagoba Arrasate’s Mallorca.

Expected Line-up:

Goalkeeper: Iñaki Peña Sotorres

The Spanish goalkeeper did not have his best performance against Las Palmas, and it was clear to see that he could have done much better. However, with that game now behind him and Hansi Flick still willing to rely on him, this match against Mallorca could be exactly the kind of second chance he needs.

Right-back: Jules Koundé

Undoubtedly one of the more unimpressive players as of late, Jules Koundé truly needs to turn his situation around. While he could not quite manage to do that against Las Palmas, this upcoming game against Mallorca offers another chance.

Centre-back: Pau Cubarsí

The Barcelona defense has looked vulnerable in recent games, and Pau Cubarsí is a player who will now be expected to step up and minimize those issues. His intelligence, ball-playing abilities, and defensive capabilities are all at an elite level, especially when considering his age. However, he needs to consistently prove that as well to remain a guaranteed starter.

Centre-back: Iñigo Martínez

With Ronald Araújo gradually getting ready to make his way back to the starting eleven at some point, Iñigo Martínez will need to step up his game in order to retain his place. The veteran defender has proved that he has what it takes to compete at the highest level, but the Barcelona defender needs to ensure unwanted errors do not become a normality.

Left-back: Alejandro Balde

The young Spanish fullback suffered a scare against Las Palmas as he seemed to be having a lot of issues with his trachea and his breathing. However, the player has since recovered fully and it is expected that he will start this upcoming game.

CDM: Marc Casadó

Having served his one-match suspension in the previous game, Marc Casadó is expected to be back in action against Mallorca. Moreover, he is expected to start for Hansi Flick’s team and his presence could be a great boost for the Catalan giants.

CDM: Pedri

Even when everyone else around him looks to be struggling, Pedri almost always finds a way to spark some creativity and help drag Barcelona back into games. However, the young midfielder will definitely need all the help he can get if Hansi Flick’s men hope to beat Mallorca.

RAM: Lamine Yamal

Featured for half the game against Las Palmas but will be hoping to start this time around. Barcelona have desperately missed Lamine Yamal and his return will surely boost the entire team’s confidence in the face of upcoming challenges.

Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images

CAM: Dani Olmo

The Spanish midfielder could not feature against Las Palmas but seems to be ready to play now. With Hansi Flick suggesting that he could even start, it seems more than likely that he will and it could be great news for Barcelona if he does.

With Olmo and Yamal back in contention for the starting lineup, Fermín López, who featured in the last game against Las Palmas, is now expected to begin this match on the bench. The €50 million-rated Spaniard has had opportunities to impress in recent outings, but his performances have fallen short of expectations.

LAM: Raphinha

While he managed to almost inspire a comeback against Las Palmas in the last game, Raphinha will want to do much more this time around. Already frustrated due to the result of the last game, the Barcelona captain will be hoping his team can finally break away from their struggles in La Liga.

After a disappointing game against Las Palmas, Robert Lewandowski will want to bounce back against Mallorca and find the back of the net again as he continues his quest to become the league’s top scorer by the end of the season.