Elche vs Barcelona – Match preview and team news

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·31 de janeiro de 2026

Elche vs Barcelona – Match preview and team news

Barcelona travel to Elche on Saturday evening as the LaLiga frontrunners look to consolidate their position at the top of the table.

With Real Madrid breathing down their necks just one point behind, Hansi Flick’s squad cannot afford to slip up against the newly promoted side away from home.

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Elche vs Barcelona – Match preview and team news

Date: Saturday, 31st January.
Kick-off: 8pm BST.
Venue: Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero, Elche.

Elche team news

Rafa Mir, who has contributed 6 goals in 18 appearances this season, has been sidelined with a hamstring injury and remains uncertain for Saturday’s encounter. Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Thursday, manager Eder Sarabia stated: “Had it been for him, he would’ve returned a long time ago. We have to think about what’s best for him long-term. We will assess him to see whether he’ll be available or not.” If Mir is unavailable, Álvaro Rodríguez is expected to lead the line.

Additionally, on-loan Barcelona defender Hector Fort will miss the fixture against his parent club due to a shoulder injury, while midfielder Aleix Febas is suspended after accumulating too many yellow cards. Defender Álvaro Núñez is also a doubt due to a muscular issue.

Barcelona team news

Midfielder Pedri remains unavailable after suffering a hamstring injury. The Spanish midfielder is expected to miss approximately one month, meaning he is unlikely to feature again until late February at the earliest.

Gavi continues his recovery from a knee operation performed in September last year, with the midfielder expected to make his return before the end of February. Defender Andreas Christensen is facing a lengthy absence following an ACL injury sustained during a training session earlier this month.

On a positive note, Ferran Torres has completed his recovery from a hamstring strain and is fit to play. He was introduced from the bench last time out and might be included in the starting line-up this time. The forward returned to full group training and has been cleared by the medical staff as well.

Frenkie de Jong is also available after serving his Champions League suspension and will wear the captain’s armband. Eric García, who was taken off at half-time as a precaution during the Copenhagen match, is expected to be available, though Flick may choose to rest him given his heavy workload of 33 appearances in all competitions.

Forward Lamine Yamal good form continues, having scored in the Champions League victory over Copenhagen and claimed the LaLiga Player of the Month award for both November and December 2025. He is yet again set start and play an important role for his team.

Form

Elche

Elche find themselves in 12th place with 24 points after 21 matches, with 5 wins, 9 draws, and 7 losses. Sarabia has overseen an impressive tenure at the newly promoted club, implementing a possession-based playing philosophy similar to Barcelona’s own approach.

The Green-and-Whites have endured a difficult spell in 2026, claiming only two points from their last four LaLiga matches. This was compounded by a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Levante last weekend, where Elche led 1-0 at half-time before conceding three second-half goals.

Barcelona

Barcelona’s return to domestic action saw them dispatch Real Oviedo 3-0 at the Camp Nou, maintaining their narrow advantage at the top. Following this, the Catalan giants secured automatic qualification to the Champions League round of 16 with a convincing 4-1 victory over Copenhagen in midweek.

The only blemish on their recent record came away at Real Sociedad a fortnight ago, when they suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat — a result that brought their winning streak to an end. Nevertheless, Flick’s side remains the second-best away team in LaLiga with 22 points earned from 11 matches, recording seven victories in the process.