Barcelona will begin their La Liga title defence this Saturday with an away clash against Mallorca at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix.
The Catalan giants, fresh from securing a domestic double last season with both the La Liga and Copa del Rey trophies, enter the new campaign as the team to beat in Spain’s top flight.
Their opening fixture will see them face a Mallorca side that finished 10th last term, narrowly missing out on European qualification by just four points.
The build-up to the season opener, however, has been complicated by injury concerns for Barcelona. Key goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen remains sidelined following back surgery, with his return date yet to be confirmed.
The German shot-stopper is expected to miss the early months of the season, forcing manager Xavi Hernández to rely on backup options between the posts.
Midfielder Dani Olmo is also a minor doubt ahead of the trip to Mallorca. The Spain international sat out Barcelona’s recent friendly against Como due to a muscular issue.
However, optimism remains high within the camp that Olmo will recover in time to feature on Saturday, providing Xavi with a creative boost in the middle of the park.
The most pressing concern is the fitness of star striker Robert Lewandowski. The Polish forward is nursing a hamstring problem and faces a race against time to be fit for the opener.
Reports suggest that he could miss the first couple of matches, a potential blow to Barcelona’s attacking threat as they look to get their title defence off to a strong start.
On a more positive note for the champions, Barcelona have no players suspended for the match. This gives Xavi more flexibility in his squad selection, even with the injury setbacks.
The coach will be looking to balance fitness concerns with the need to start the season strongly, especially with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid expected to challenge closely this year.
Mallorca, under new coach Jagoba Arrasate, will be eager to make a statement against the reigning champions.
Their solid mid-table finish last season was built on disciplined defending and opportunistic counter-attacks, a formula they will hope to replicate against Barcelona.
