Hansi Flick set to gamble with rotations against Real Valladolid

With a four-point cushion at the top of La Liga, Saturday’s match will be both an opportunity and a challenge for Hansi Flick.

Following the hard-fought 3-3 draw with Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-final, Barcelona will need to recover quickly as it will be back to La Liga action against the already-relegated Real Valladolid.

According to Diario Sport, Hansi Flick is making big rotations to his starting XI, with the intention of fresh legs against Valladolid, while also being mindful of a major second leg against Inter next week.

Several squad players are expected to get considerable playing time, with Gerard Martín and Ansu Fati being options for rare starts.

However, the biggest change will be Marc-André ter Stegen returning in goal.

The Barcelona captain has been out of action since December with a back injury, and his return could not come at a better time ahead of the final stretch of the season.

Andreas Christensen is also expected to come into the defence, allowing Pau Cubarsí and Iñigo Martínez to get some needed rest.

Hansi Flick will also likely plan to have youngsters Gavi and Héctor Fort in his line-up, simply to manage the workload on his squad.

The relegation status of Valladolid suggests a trickier match-up, but their coach, Álvaro Rubio, has warned: “We are going to fight”.

In this regard, the rotation will give Barcelona opportunities to get their premium players back, like ter Stegen, while also testing the limits of their squad depth.

The title race is tight, and dropping points to the bottom side of La Liga could prove very costly.

Hansi Flick will have to find that sweet spot with his selections between rotation and trying to keep the momentum going in their quest for domestic glory.

Want to get the latest Barcelona news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.