Barcelona coach to ring in the changes vs Real Valladolid; Captain to make his return | OneFootball

After a gruelling 3-3 draw with Inter Milan, Barcelona will shift their focus back to La Liga as they take on Real Valladolid on Saturday.

It will be a must-win game for the Catalans as they look to preserve their four-point lead at the top of the league table.

But with the second leg tie against Inter Milan just around the corner, Hansi Flick must be judicious with his team selection as he looks to avoid fatigue.

Barcelona to ring in the changes

Keeping that in mind, Flick is likely to ring in the changes as Barcelona take on Real Valladolid this weekend.

This is according to Diario SPORT, which suggests the German coach can give opportunities to lesser-used players in the team, including the likes of Gerard Martin and Ansu Fati.

Ter Stegen will play against Real Valladolid this weekend (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

The highlight of the report, though, is that Marc-Andre ter Stegen could start against Valladolid, in what could be the German’s first appearance for Barcelona since returning from a long injury layoff.

Other than ter Stegen, Andreas Christensen is also in contention for a rare start as Flick looks to offer rest to some of his regular defenders such as Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez.

Gavi and Hector Fort are some of the other players likely to make a start against Real Valladolid this weekend.

The Pucelanos are already relegated this season after registering only four wins in 33 matches. However, coach Alvaro Rubio remains upbeat despite admitting that Barça have the capability to hurt the team.

In any case, some rotation against Real Valladolid could serve as a breath of fresh air for Barcelona. But at the same time, the club must make sure they don’t drop points, knowing it could be catastrophic for them, in the race for the league title.