FC Barcelona will face Valencia in their upcoming La Liga game tonight. As the Catalan club unveiled their squad list, it’s evident that Xavi has almost all key players at his disposal for selection.
However, the absence of Marcos Alonso, Inigo Martinez, Ter Stegen, and Gavi due to ongoing recovery processes stands out as notable voids in the squad.
Xavi is expected to go into this match with full strength, especially as he will be desperate for a victory after losses in his last two games against Girona and Royal Antwerp and the scathing criticism he has faced in the media after these setbacks.
The midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who has recently returned from a long injury, will play an important role in this match. However, as Mundo Deportivo has noted, he will have to play with a lot of caution as a yellow card in this match will get him suspended for the next La Liga game against Almeria.
The Dutchman has accumulated four yellow cards this season, despite missing a number of games due to injury. The fifth booking will mean he misses a game due to suspension, and getting a card against Valencia will see him suspended for the last official game of the year.
De Jong is the only Barcelona player with four yellow cards in La Liga, but there are four other players who also have three yellow cards to their name.
These include Robert Lewandowski, Oriol Romeu, Joao Felix, and Joao Cancelo. Getting a yellow card will also put them in danger of suspension whenever they receive the next booking in La Liga.