As the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League league phase nears its conclusion, Barcelona travel to Fortuna Arena for a Matchday 7 clash with Slavia Praha, seeking a victory to bolster their hopes for direct qualification. However, they must do so without their standout star, the teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. Follow Slavia Praha vs Barcelona live with us!
Yamal was not part of the Barcelona delegation that traveled to Prague, having been ruled out of the fixture due to a one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation.
The forward did not board the plane with the rest of the squad, as he serves a mandatory ban that leaves him unavailable for this pivotal matchup. However, he will return for the final league phase match at home against Copenhagen.
His absence is a significant blow to Hansi Flick’s offense, forcing the manager to reshuffle his attacking line to secure a win in Prague. With Yamal sidelined, Marcus Rashford and Swedish talent Roony Bardghji are the top candidates to fill the void, as they have done in previous outings.
Barcelona face one more absence
Yamal’s absence is not the only hurdle Flick must navigate for this fixture. Barcelona will also be without their leading scorer, as Ferran Torres is sidelined with a hamstring injury. Taken as a precautionary measure, his absence opens the door for Robert Lewandowski to return to the starting lineup as the primary striker.
A lingering question for Barcelona was the availability of Pedri. The star midfielder took a heavy challenge from Carlos Soler during the club’s recent 2-1 loss to Real Sociedad and could be rested this evening. However, Flick offered an encouraging update during his pre-match press conference, noting that he spoke with the Spaniard: “I asked him after the match, and he said he was fine after Soler’s tough tackle”. Pedri is ultimately starting today.
In a boost for the Blaugrana, Raphinha is also returning to the squad. The captain missed the Real Sociedad match due to a minor thigh injury, but Flick included the Brazilian in the lineup.
