Barcelona kick off season against Elche

Barcelona begin their Spanish league campaign against Elche this Sunday, after having their opening fixture postponed due to their players' participation in the latter stages of the World Cup. The match takes place at the Martínez Valero stadium.

Hansi Flick's challenge in assembling the squad

Manager Hansi Flick faces a puzzle in defining the Catalan side's starting lineup. The world champions had little time to work with the rest of their teammates following their vacation period.

Among the alternatives for the clash, names like Joan Garcia, Eric Garcia, and Lamine Yamal are shaping up as starters. In defense, the center-back pairing should be formed by Christensen and Gerard Martín, while Xavi Espart has a strong chance of partnering Marc Bernal in the double pivot.

Status of rested players and reinforcements

Players like Pedri, Gavi, and Cubarsí managed their physical workload upon returning to work and are likely to start on the bench. On the other hand, Rodri is not yet ready to debut, as he needs to get up to speed physically after starting pre-season late.

João Cancelo, who joined late after playing in Saudi football, is expected to be included in the squad list. In attack, the main question mark surrounds the center-forward position, with Gordon contending for the role, although young Hamza Abdelkarim has also made a good impression.

How to watch today's match

The clash between Elche and Barcelona corresponds to the second round of the national competition and is broadcast live on television via the Movistar LaLiga channel. The opponent comes into the match occupying ninth place in the table, with one point earned after drawing with Deportivo de La Coruña.

With information from Mundo Deportivo, MARCA, Yahoo.