Barça bets on a fearless frontline against Brugge in Champions League thriller

Match Preview

Barcelona’s coach Hans Flick named an attacking lineup for a Champions League group-stage trip to Club Brugge on Wednesday, with Rafinha, Pablo Gavi and Pedri sidelined. The front line features Lamine Yamal, Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres, aiming to ignite Barca’s attack away from home. Barcelona sit ninth in the group with six points, while Brugge linger in 20th with three. The Blaugrana are chasing a second straight win and a third victory in the competition after beating Newcastle 2-1, then losing 1-2 to Paris Saint‑Germain, and later thrashing Olympiakos 6-1 in earlier rounds.

Lineups: Club Brugge: Jakier—Seiz—Michieli—Ordonz—Sabi—Onuideika—Stankovic—Tzolis—Vanaken—Forbes—Tresoldi. Barcelona: Chesney—Balde—Garcia—Araujo—Kounde—Casado—De Jong—Ferran—Torres—Yamal—Rashford.

Barça currently occupy ninth in the group with six points; Brugge sit bottom with three. The Catalans aim for a second consecutive win and a third in the Champions League this season after beating Newcastle 2-1, then losing to PSG 1-2, and crushing Olympiakos 6-1 in the third round.

Rafinha, Gavi and Pedri remain unavailable, along with Jordi (Juan) Garcia and Andreas Christensen and Marc-André ter Stegen, who miss further duty this week.

Return of Rafinha

There are positive signs from Barcelona regarding Rafinha’s recovery, who is edging closer to a return to action but has not yet been included in the Brazil squad during the current international break. The coaching staff, led by Flick, are monitoring his progress closely as the forward moves through the late stages of rehabilitation.

According to Marca/AS reports in Spain, Rafinha hasn’t played since leaving the field in the 65th minute of the draw with Real Oviedo, with tests later confirming a strain in the middle hamstring of his right thigh. Initial estimates suggested a three-week layoff, yet the recovery extended beyond six weeks, partly due to slower-than-expected improvement.

Following the international break in October, there were rumours of a fresh setback that would rule him out of a Girona clash, a game intended for a gradual comeback before the Clasico. He has since trained in parts midweek but was again absent the next day, prompting questions about his readiness and whether the team would risk rushing him back against a heavy schedule.

Since then, no exact return date has been set, and although he has not yet trained with the full squad under Flick, the dressing room remains hopeful that the Brazilian is nearing full readiness. Rafinha was left out of the Elche matchday squad and is not expected to feature against Brugge, though sources close to the club suggest he could travel with the squad to Vigo for a future trip only once fully fit.

Kaboom Injury Crisis haunts Barça

Barça’s corridors are rattled by injuries, a situation that has unsettled Flick and his staff since the season’s start. The club’s physical metrics have dipped, and the squad has faced an unprecedented wave of injuries, threatening stability in both domestic and European competitions.

AS reports that Flick is deeply worried about the players’ physical state after data showed a drop in top speed and endurance compared with last season. The downturn has coincided with a spike in injuries, tallying up to 13 different injuries in just three months.

The mood in the locker room has been tense, with some players voicing frustration with the club’s training regime and its ability to meet the demands of a long campaign. Several players have begun private conditioning work or extra sessions outside the club’s “City of Football” complex, with some turning to external nutritionists and fitness experts in a bid to regain match readiness.