Barcelona kick off their 2024-25 season on Saturday evening, as they take on Valencia at the Mestalla – their first fixture in La Liga. Hansi Flick has announced his 22-man squad for the match, and there is a very surprising omission.
Ilkay Gundogan, who was expected to start against Los Che, will not make the trip. The veteran midfielder suffered a head injury during Monday’s Joan Gamper Trophy defeat to Monaco, and the decision has been made that he will be made to wait for his first competitive appearance of the season.
Official: The squad. @FCBarcelona pic.twitter.com/Ad5JxFXxyi
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) August 17, 2024
Gundogan’s omission is likely to be a precaution for Barcelona. However, it does throw into doubt who will play behind Robert Lewandowski. Pablo Torre is an option, as is Pau Victor, whose first team registration was confirmed on Friday. It won’t be Pedri, as despite receiving the medical green light to be included in the squad, he won’t be fit enough to start, as has already been confirmed by Flick.
Another note from the matchday squad is that Mikayil Faye and Vitor Roque are missing. The former has likely been left out as he is expected to leave in the coming days, while Roque – who’ll also almost certainly depart – has not been registered with La Liga.
