FC Barcelona returns to action in LaLiga 2025/26 this Sunday against Valencia (9:00 PM CEST). Hansi Flick's team will have to play their first home game of the season at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, while awaiting the resolution of the operating licenses for the Spotify Camp Nou in the coming days. For the fourth matchday, the 'Azulgrana' team arrives with four significant absences due to injury.

During the first break of the 25/26 season, Lamine Yamal and Frenkie de Jong ended up with muscle problems after traveling with Spain and the Netherlands, respectively. Hopefully, both will be available next Thursday for the Champions League debut against Newcastle. They are joined by Gavi and Alejandro Balde, the former sidelined since before Matchday 3 against Rayo.

The full-back, however, was injured in training while the internationals were with their national teams. The other absence, the only one of long duration, is Marc André ter-Stegen, who will be out for at least four months after undergoing back surgery. Valencia, on the other hand, arrives in Catalonia with the full squad.

  • 📺 Where and when to watch the match: the channels that broadcast the Barça-Valencia match SEE

Barcelona wants to extend its streak against Valencia in La Liga

Beyond the doubts in assembling the starting XI, Flick's Barça arrives confident in getting a good result against the 'ché' team on Sunday. Valencia has not won on Catalan soil since 2015/16, and in their last nine visits, they could only salvage a couple of draws (2-2) in 18/19 and 20/21. 

In addition, in 24/25, the 'culés' crushed Carlos Corberán's team both in La Liga (7-1) and in Copa (0-5), although the Mestalla team had a notable improvement in their game and performance during the second half of the season, just after the arrival of the 42-year-old coach.

It is not easy to finish in twelfth place in the standings after scoring just 12 points in the first half of the season. Valladolid, in fact, finished tied with the 'bats' at the bottom of the table in the first half of the previous championship, but could never leave this position and went down to Segunda with just 16 points, 30 less than Valencia (46).

Therefore, beyond the differences between both teams, Barça must be very careful against Corberán's team, a specialist team in reducing spaces thanks to a very compact block (4-2-3-1) that knows very well how to use its weapons to hurt rivals, on paper, clearly superior.

LAST FIVE MATCHES OF BARÇA AND VALENCIA
H FC Barcelona Valencia CF A
H🟡 1-1 vs Rayo 3-0 vs Getafe A🟢
H🟢 2-3 vs Levante 1-0 vs Osasuna A🔴
H🟢 0-3 vs Mallorca 1-1 vs Real Sociedad A🟡
H🟢 5-0 vs Como* 3-0 vs Torino* H🟢
H🟢 0-5 vs Daegu* 2-0 Gladbach* A🔴
  • *Friendly matches
  • H: Venue
  • H: Home
  • A: Away

Hansi Flick, forced to rotate in the Barça-Valencia match

Lamine Yamal during the Rayo-Barça (1-1) match.

Due to the aforementioned absences, Flick will have to put his rotation plan into action again. Compared to the match against Rayo, four changes are expected, the most important being the inclusion of Marcus Rashford in attack for Lamine Yamal. The Englishman would occupy the left side of the offensive trident, while Raphinha would move to the right side that the '10' usually occupies.

The player from Mataró leads the team in direct goal involvements (4), with a pair of goals and assists. In addition, Gerard Martín and Marc Casadó will do their duties replacing Balde and De Jong, respectively. Another who should return to the lineup is Pau Cubarsí, substitute alongside Ronald Araujo in Vallecas.

The 'charrúa', due to the long trip with Uruguay during the break, could rest with his sights set on Newcastle, while Joan García and Jules Koundé will remain in goal and at right-back. Pedri, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres should also repeat as starters, the latter being Barça's top scorer (2) along with Lamine.

On the bench, players like Eric García, Fermín López and Robert Lewandowski will wait for their opportunity, the last two also substitutes in Vallecas. The Polish 'scored' with Poland in his last match (3-1 against Finland), as did the 'Shark' against Turkey (0-6). However, Flick seems to lean, for now, on the '7' as the starting striker.

  • ℹ️ Lineups: the possible starting XIs for FC Barcelona and Valencia: SEE

Barça does not want to continue adding casualties: maximum precaution in the infirmary

Gavi on the bench of the Ciutat de Valencia Stadium.

Although the injuries in the squad, for now, are not serious, Barcelona does not want to take any kind of risks. Gavi remains on the sidelines with a conservative treatment on his right knee that, if it does not give results, will force the '6' to undergo an arthroscopy. This would leave him 'KO' for about a month.

With Balde, the idea is to give him two or three weeks of rest so that the left hamstring biceps deflates and recovers without problems. In the case of Lamine, there will be daily monitoring of his ailments in the pubis to determine if the '10' can or cannot play in Newcastle. The same happens with Frenkie and his injury in the right leg.

The club was very careful with the return of Marc Bernal, who only received medical discharge on Saturday after 382 days of absence. The same will happen with each player who goes through the infirmary, since the calendar does not give respite and any planning error can cost a player the season.

  • 📋 Squad list: the list of Barcelona players called up for the match: SEE

Valencia seeks to surprise at the Johan Cruyff Stadium

Valencia, on the other hand, is not suffering headaches with injuries in 25/26 for now. If Carlos Corberán wants to repeat the lineup, he will be able to keep the XI intact that thrashed Getafe last matchday. 

Agirrezabala should remain in goal, with Foulquier and Vázquez as full-backs and the duo Tárrega-Diakhaby in the center of the defense. Javi Guerra and Santamaría would remain in midfield, while Diego López is shaping up as an attacking midfielder.

Up front, Luis Rioja and Danjuma will be the wingers, while Hugo Duro remains as the team's '9'. The former Real Madrid youth player has scored 3 goals in 8 matches against Barça, which will be the main offensive weapon for the Mestalla team.

Will Valencia be able to surprise at the Johan Cruyff? In the recent past, Barça has dominated the one-on-one against the 'ché' team with authority, and in the subsidiary's stadium, Flick's team already crushed Como 1907 last month in the Gamper (5-0).