Barcelona injury update emerges ahead of Chelsea clash amid Rashford decision

Barcelona will travel to west London to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League on Tuesday night and they’re expected to shuffle the pack

Barcelona could be missing a few key players when they face Chelsea. The Blues are set to host Hansi Flick’s side at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night in the Champions League, with both teams vying for a spot in the knock-out stages.

According to Spanish publication Diario AS, Pedri will be unavailable for the highly anticipated match. The 22-year-old midfielder was absent from Sunday’s training session at Ciutat Esportiva as he continues to recover from a muscle problem.

Pedri sustained a hamstring injury during last month’s El Clásico and, despite showing ‘positive signs’, he is not expected to return to the pitch until next weekend at the earliest. The Spain international had been a regular starter for Barcelona in La Liga this season, netting two goals and providing one assist.

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He also played a crucial role in the Catalan outfit’s Champions League campaign before his injury. Barcelona will also be without Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Gavi for their trip to west London due to injury.

However, there is some good news for Flick as Marcus Rashford is expected to rejoin the matchday squad. The Manchester United loanee, who swapped Old Trafford for Camp Nou in the summer, missed the Spanish champions’ 4-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday evening due to illness.

An official statement from the club claimed Rashford had the flu. The England international made his comeback to training at Ciutat Esportiva on Sunday, providing a massive lift for Barcelona.

Joan Garcia and Raphinha both staged their eagerly anticipated comebacks at the weekend after extended periods out injured. Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong, who was suspended for Saturday’s encounter, is expected to be thrust straight back into the starting XI on Tuesday, according to Diario AS.

Barcelona might fancy their chances, but Enzo Maresca’s troops are flying high. Speaking to the media at Turf Moor after a routine 2-0 victory against Burnley, the Chelsea manager said: “Yeah, we are confident.

“We are confident, we are doing well. Today we could have done many, many things better, for sure – no doubt – but at the end it was important to win the game. But we are confident and we are ready to prepare Tuesday and Sunday.”

Maresca enjoyed the privilege of rotating his squad ahead of the Barcelona showdown, including Reece James, who was withdrawn at the break. The Blues boss continued: “Yes, the idea was especially to manage Reece [James], this is the reason why he played 45 minutes, was planned.

“Then the rest, Pedro [Neto] and Enzo [Fernandez], they had a good international break in terms of recovery energy and recovery also from the injury. The rest I think they were all good.”

When questioned further about James, Maresca added: “We planned on 45 minutes. That’s why I said we had many reasons to be happy today, because one of the reasons was also to try to manage players.

“It’s not easy, because me personally, I would like Reece to continue – but we need to protect Reece.”

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