One of Barcelona's leaders will miss the opening match of La Liga due to injury
Liam Garcia
Dailysports's expert
The new La Liga season officially kicked off on August 15, and today one of the main title contenders, Barcelona, will enter the fray. They will travel to face Valencia. Ahead of the match, Barcelona's head coach, Hansi Flick, has finalized the squad for the game, but one of the team's key players is notably absent.
Ilkay Gündogan will miss the match. The German midfielder sustained an injury during the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Monaco on Monday. Although there were earlier hopes that he would recover in time, it seems the club has decided to take a cautious approach.
It remains uncertain who will play alongside Robert Lewandowski. Pedri could have been a contender for that role, and while he is included in the squad and has received medical clearance to rejoin the team, it is unlikely that he will take to the field. Like Gündogan, he will likely be given more time to fully recover.
Most likely, Flick will have to rely on Pablo Torre or Pau Victor to step in. It's worth noting that Pau Victor's registration was only confirmed yesterday.
Additionally, both Mikayil Faye and Vitor Roque are absent from the squad list. The Senegalese defender is expected to leave the club soon, while the absence of the Brazilian forward might indicate an impending transfer. This is further supported by the fact that he has yet to be registered in La Liga.
