Due to LaLiga’s refusal to register Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor, FC Barcelona have announced their squad list for the upcoming Copa del Rey match against Barbastro without the duo. The club have received approval from the league to adhere to the 1:1 rule and believe that having submitted the necessary documentation before the New Year, they should obtain permission for both players to participate.
Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor remain unregistered in LaLiga, meaning Hansi Flick was unable to include them in the squad for the Copa del Rey round of 32 clash against Barbastro. The travel list was confirmed on Saturday morning, hours before the match, when the Blaugrana revealed the German coach’s selection. Flick was already aware of the situation during his pre-match press conference.
The players selected are: Pau Cubarsí, Alejandro Balde, Ronald Araujo, Iñigo Martínez, Gavi, Pedri González, Robert Lewandowski, Ansu Fati, Iñaki Peña, Pablo Torre, Fermín López, Marc Casado, Frenkie de Jong, Jules Koundé, Eric García, Wojciech Szczesny, Ander Astralaga, Gerard Martín, Sergi Domínguez et Toni Fernández. Peña is likely to rest, which could pave the way for a potential start for Szczesny, who came out of retirement to replace the injured Marc-André ter Stegen.
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Other developments on the pitch could allow players who haven’t had regular minutes this season to get noticed. One of them is Ronald Araujo, who was previously called up for matches against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and against Leganés and Atlético Madrid in LaLiga. The technical staff did not consider any of these three scenarios ideal for his return to competition, but this time, the opponent offers an opportunity because they are several categories below.
Other players who could get game time to give regular starters a rest include Ansu Fati and Frenkie de Jong. In addition, attention will focus on Eric García, who, with the returns of Christensen and Araujo, could find himself without a place in Hansi Flick’s starting XI, prompting Girona, according to the Catalan press, to push for his return to Montilivi, where he had already been decisive under Michel.
