MADRID (Reuters) -Barcelona will look to recover from their 2-1 El Clasico defeat by Real Madrid when they host Elche in LaLiga on Sunday, but they will do so without midfielder Pedri, who is set to miss several weeks due to a leg muscle injury.
The Catalan club, second in the standings and trailing leaders Real Madrid by five points, have been hit hard by injuries this season.
Manager Hansi Flick faces a mounting challenge as Pedri's absence adds to a lengthy list of sidelined players, including Robert Lewandowski, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Raphinha, and goalkeepers Joan Garcia and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Teenager Lamine Yamal, who recently returned from rehabilitation, is also struggling with a lingering groin issue, while other key players like Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde, Alejandro Balde, and Fermin Lopez have faced injury setbacks.
Barcelona have had 15 players unavailable since the campaign began.
Elche, eighth in the standings with 14 points from 10 matches, are coming off a three-match winless streak but remain one of the season's surprise packages. They are two points off the European qualification spots and could capitalise on Barcelona's injury crisis.
Real Madrid, under manager Xabi Alonso, will host struggling Valencia on Saturday. Real have enjoyed an excellent run, winning 12 of their 13 matches across all competitions this season.
However, tensions have arisen following Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr's visible frustration at being substituted during last week's El Clasico. The player issued an apology on Wednesday but notably omitted any mention of Alonso, fuelling speculation about a rift.
Alonso addressed the matter, stating, "These are things we will handle internally."
With a Champions League clash against Liverpool scheduled for Tuesday, Alonso may rotate his squad for the weekend fixture.
Valencia, 18th in LaLiga with nine points, are winless in nearly six weeks and are already in a fight to avoid relegation.
Elsewhere, third-placed Villarreal host Rayo Vallecano, while fourth-placed Atletico Madrid welcome Sevilla to the Metropolitano Stadium. Both teams will look to close the gap on the top two.
(Reporting by Fernando KallasEditing by Chrisitan Radnedge)
