Three options for Barcelona to replace suspended midfield star vs Las Palmas | OneFootball

Barcelona will go into Saturday’s La Liga encounter against Las Palmas without the services of midfielder Marc Casado.

The La Masia product, who has been a regular starter this season for the club, will be sidelined due to his red card in the match against Celta Vigo, where he was sent off for two yellow cards.

Casado has been an important part of Hansi Flick’s plans this season as indicated by the fact that, out of the 19 official matches this season, the midfielder has not started only in four.

These four instances occurred in La Liga fixtures: the second match against Athletic Club and the third against Rayo Vallecano, when Flick opted for Marc Bernal; and the sixth match against Villarreal and the eighth against Osasuna, when rotations took place.

Flick has several options to cover this important absence, with Pedri certain to occupy one of the two pivot positions vs Las Palmas.

Frenkie de Jong

Set for a starting berth? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Frenkie de Jong is Flick’s primary option to replace Casado in the starting XI vs Las Palmas on Saturday. The Dutch international is considered the most realistic choice due to his familiarity with the position, having filled in as a pivot before.

Despite being booed when he came on against Brest following his performance against Celta Vigo, Flick has been protective of De Jong and holds him in high regard. However, moving forward, his performances will be evaluated carefully.

Eric Garcia

A more prominent role for Eric? (Photo by Linnea Rheborg/Getty Images)

Eric Garcia has already played in the defensive pivot role on four occasions this season. He featured in this position against Monaco in the Champions League and in La Liga against Getafe, where he partnered with Casado, as well as against Villarreal (Matchday 6) and Osasuna (Matchday 8), where he was paired with Pedri.

The issue with the La Masia product is that he has just returned from an injury that kept him out for seven matches. He was on the bench for the recent match against Brest and has not played a full game in a while, which could affect his readiness.

Gavi

Another start for Gavi? (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Gavi, who has now fully recovered from the ACL injury that sidelined him for a year, has also been used in the pivot role. Since his return against Sevilla, the future Barça captain has featured in this position, often alongside Casado.

Gavi’s last appearance in the pivot position was against Celta. He was on the bench during the Champions League match against Brest, and Flick will need to consider pairing him with Pedri for the upcoming matches.