Barcelona vs Real Madrid: probable lineups and absences for the Super Cup final

FC Barcelona and Real Madrid will face each other this Sunday in the 2026 Spanish Super Cup at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah (8:00 PM CEST), for the tournament final. Hansi Flick's team arrives with two players out due to injury, with Ronald Araujo now available after almost two months on the sidelines.

We review the possible starting lineup, the substitute bench, and the injured and suspended players for Hansi Flick's Barcelona for the match against Real Madrid. Complete analysis!

Possible Barça Starting XI against Real Madrid

1. (#13, P) Joan García
2. (#23) Jules Koundé
3. (#05) Pau Cubarsí
4. (#24) Eric García
5. (#03) Alejandro Balde
6. (#21) Frenkie de Jong 
7. (#08) Pedri
8. (#16) Fermín López
9. (#10) Lamine Yamal
10. (#11) Raphinha
11. (#07) Ferran Torres

Barça Bench (substitute players)

1. (#01, GK) Marc-André ter Stegen
2. (#25, GK) Szczesny
3. (#04) Ronald Araujo.
4. (#09) Robert Lewandowski
5. (#14) Marcus Rashford
6. (#17) Marc Casadó
7. (#18) Gerard Martín
8. (#20) Dani Olmo
9. (#22) Marc Bernal
10. (#26) Jofre Torrents
11. (#27) Dro Fernández
12. (#28) Roony Bardghji
13. (#43) Tommy Marqués

Injured Barça Players

1. (#06) Gavi
2. (#15) Andreas Christensen

Suspended Barça Players:

1.  None.

Flick's Possible Surprises and Tactical Variations Against Real Madrid

Lamine Yamal and Pere Milla fighting for the ball in the Catalan derby

In principle, Hansi Flick foresees making one change to his XI compared to the thrashing against Athletic (5-0), with Lamine Yamal returning to the attack in place of Roony Bardghji. The '10' would join Ferran Torres and Raphinha in the Barça attacking trident

Goalkeeping and defense

• Joan García will be in goal, while Jules Koundé and Alejandro Balde will be the full-backs. In the center of defense, Eric García and Pau Cubarsí should remain in the middle. Ronald Araujo could be on the bench along with Marc Casadó and Jofre Torrents. Ter Stegen returns to the bench alongside Szczesny.

Midfield:

• As a pivot, Frenkie de Jong is set to be Pedri González's partner in midfield, while Fermín López would once again be the team's attacking midfielder. Marc Bernal could get minutes in the second half, as could Marc Casadó. Dani Olmo will also be a regular substitute in the second half.

Forward:

• In attack, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha would complete the Blaugrana attack alongside Ferran Torres. Robert Lewandowski and Roony Bardghji would be substitutes this Sunday, as would Marcus Rashford. The Swede scored and provided a couple of assists against Athletic, taking advantage of Lamine's substitute status.

Barça Absences: Which players will miss the final against Real Madrid due to injury?

Currently, only two players are out due to significant injuries. Pablo Gavi continues his recovery from knee surgery and could return to action in mid-February. Andreas Christensen suffered a partial cruciate ligament tear before the trip to Villarreal and is expected to be out for four or more months

Possible Real Madrid Lineup Against Barcelona

• Probable XI: Courtois; Valverde, Asensio, Tchouaméni, Carreras; Camavinga, Bellingham, Güler; Rodrygo, Vinicius, and Gonzalo.
• Bench: Lunin (GK), Ceballos, Fran García, Alaba, Carvajal, Rüdiger, Huijsen, Mendy, Mastantuono, Mbappé.
• Injured: Éder Militao, Trent Alexander-Arnold.
• Suspended: None

Real Madrid, for their part, arrives with many doubts for the Super Cup final. Xabi Alonso is playing for his job with the uncertainty of Kylian Mbappé, a last-minute doubt in the 'Merengue' XI. The '10' traveled to Arabia after overcoming a sprain in his left knee, but it is difficult for him to be a starter.

The same happens with Antonio Rüdiger, who limped off the field during the derby against Atlético on Thursday (1-2). The German pushed himself to play the semifinal, but his left knee is on the verge of another muscle tear. This will force the coach from Tolosa to patch up his defense again, as Dean Huijsen is also not physically fit to play.

Thibaut Courtois will be in goal, while Fede Valverde and Álvaro Carreras would again be full-backs. In the center, Raúl Asencio could partner Aurélien Tchouaméni. This would force Jude Bellingham back into midfield alongside Camavinga, while Arda Güler would return to the XI as an attacking midfielder

Up front, Rodrygo and Vinicius will accompany Mbappé or Gonzalo García. Dani Ceballos would be another alternative for the midfield, but the Utrera native has played little after a failed loan to Marseille last summer. Franco Mastantuono and Fran García are emerging as options in the second half. Éder Militao and Trent Alexander-Arnold are ruled out due to injury.

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