Barcelona will be without its captain for the first time this season when Hansi Flick's side hosts Getafe on Wednesday.
Despite getting off to a perfect start in La Liga, Barcelona has suffered several setbacks in its 2024–25 campaign. First the club bid a farewell to İlkay Gündoğan, then it could not get Dani Olmo officially registered until its third match of the season. Injuries also began to build as the weeks progressed; on top of the long list of players sidelined from the summer, Marc Bernal tore his ACL and Olmo injured his hamstring.
Marc-André ter Stegen is the next player set for a lengthy layoff after rupturing the patella tendon in his right knee against Villarreal. The injury will likely keep the the Germany international off the pitch for the rest of the season, giving Hansi Flick yet another player to compensate for in Barcelona's upcoming match against Getafe.
Here's what Barcelona's XI could look like against Getafe.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Getafe (4-2-3-1)
GK: Iñaki Peña – The goalkeeper will start in place of the injured Marc-André ter Stegen while Barcelona decides on signing a free agent to become the team's permanent starter between the posts.
RB: Jules Koundé – Koundé has started every game under Flick and will once again get the nod on Wednesday should the manager roll out his strongest XI. If he opts to rest the Frenchman, then expect Héctor Fort to start in Koundé's place.
CB: Pau Cubarsí – After only playing 30 minutes on Sunday, the gold medal winner will take his rightful spot in Barcelona's backline. The 17-year-old will need to silence Borja Mayoral if he hopes to help his new keeper record the Catalans' second clean sheet of the season.
CB: Iñigo Martínez – The defender bounced back on Sunday after a poor performance against Monaco in the Champions League.
LB: Alejandro Balde – The 20-year-old will return to the left flank after Flick gave him the night off against Villarreal at the weekend.
DM: Marc Casadó – The midfielder showed no signs of the knock he picked up against Monaco when he came off the bench on Sunday. Expect Casadó to slot in alongside Pedri in a double pivot.
DM: Pedri – Pedri's lackluster performance in the Champions League was long forgotten when he assisted Barcelona's third goal on Sunday. The midfielder's newfound freedom under Flick allows the 21-year-old to show off his crisp passing and playmaking ability, especially against weaker La Liga sides like Getafe.
RW: Lamine Yamal – Yamal is one of the players that could be rested rested against Getafe, but Flick hinted that he intends to start the 17-year-old. The Euro 2024 winner already has four goals and five assists across all competitions this season.
AM: Pablo Torre – The Spaniard impressed in his first start of the season on Sunday, bagging a goal and assist in Barcelona's victory over Villarreal. Flick could opt to rotate his players and give Ferran Torres the nod instead, but Torre earned his spot in the starting lineup, especially with how well he played between Raphinha and Yamal.
LW: Raphinha – The Brazilian has experienced a resurgence under Flick. Coming off scoring a brace at the weekend, Raphinha will once again look to get himself on the scoresheet against a back five that has only conceded multiple goals once this season.
ST: Robert Lewandowski – The striker leads the La Liga Golden Boot race with six goals in six appearances. He would have bagged his first hat trick of the season on Sunday had he converted from the spot.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Getafe: La Liga.