Flick faces Atletico test with depleted Barcelona side | OneFootball

Injuries cast shadow over Copa del Rey semifinal first leg

Flick faces Atletico test with depleted Barcelona side

Barcelona travel to face Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semifinals first leg with several key players ruled out through injury.

Big test in Madrid

FC Barcelona preparing for crucial first-leg clash against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semifinals on Thursday night at the Metropolitano Stadium.

The match comes at difficult moment for the Catalan side who are dealing with several injuries in key areas. The second leg is scheduled to take place one month later adding extra importance to the result in Madrid.

Rashford ruled out, Attack hit hard

Barcelona confirmed that Marcus Rashford will miss the match due to injury. The England forward was left out of the squad list just hours before the trip adding more pressure on already weakened attack.

The absence of Raphinha continues to be concern. The Brazilian winger trained separately in the gym as he recovers from right adductor injury suffered in late January.

Although the club initially expected short recovery period, his return has taken longer than planned.

Midfield and defense also affected

The injury list does not stop there. Barcelona will also be without Pedri & Gavi leaving the midfield short of creativity and control.

Their absence puts more responsibility on the remaining players to manage possession against strong and physical Atletico side.

In defense Andreas Christensen is also unavailable reducing options at the back.

Young players join first-team session

Head coach Hansi Flick included several academy players in training to cover the gaps. Among them were Tommy, Kochen, Jofre Torrents, Juan Hernández and Brian Fariñas.

With limited options, Barcelona may rely on youth energy and tactical discipline to handle the pressure of semifinal played away from home.