Barcelona defender absent from squad for Real Betis clash due to discomfort | OneFootball

Just a while back, FC Barcelona manager Hansi Flick released the squad list of players available at his disposal for selection for tonight’s La Liga encounter against Real Betis.

The list saw Andreas Christensen make his way back into the squad after recovering from his calf injury and receiving the green light from the medical department.

However, the Blaugrana will go into the game without another defender, Inigo Martinez, whose name was left out of the squad list.

Reason for Inigo’s absence

Now, according to RAC1, the reason behind Inigo Martinez’s absence is that he is suffering from some discomfort in his glutes.

It must be noted that the 33-year-old veteran finished the midweek match against Atletico Madrid with some muscle overload.

No Inigo for Barcelona. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Concerns of any injury were eased, though, when he trained normally with the rest of the group on Friday.

However, it appears that the discomfort had not completely gone away for the defender and as such, he and the coaching staff decided not to take any risks.

After all, Martinez had only recently returned from an injury that kept him out of Spain’s UEFA Nations League quarter-final clashes against the Netherlands.

A key player in the side, it makes sense for Martinez to be rested and protected keeping in mind that Barcelona take on Borussia Dortmund next week in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Furthermore, in Ronald Araujo, Eric Garcia, and now Christensen, Hansi Flick has more than enough alternatives to pair Pau Cubarsi with at the heart of the Catalans’ defence tonight against Real Betis.