Villarreal face Barcelona with key players missing through injury and AFCON duty

Marcelino also highlighted the challenges of calling on his usual defensive options.

The Yellow Submarine sit third in the table, having won six league matches in a row, but travel to Barcelona eight points behind the league leaders, with two games in hand. 

Their build-up was further affected after last weekend’s fixture against Levante was postponed due to severe weather, while a midweek Copa del Rey exit to Segunda side Racing Santander added to the disruption.

Marcelino confirmed that defenders Juan Foyth and Sergi Cardona will miss the game after picking up muscle problems against Racing Santander. 

“Sergi and Juan Foyth had muscular problems and we had to substitute them,” he said.

The absences extend further: midfielders Thomas Partey and Gerard Moreno remain sidelined, while defenders Logan Costa, Willy Kambwala, and Santiago Mourino are also out. In addition, Pape Gueye and Ilias Akhomach are away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Villarreal are expected to field Pau Navarro at right-back, with centre-backs Rafa Marin and Renato Veiga likely partnered with Alfonso Pedraza on the left. The lineup will feature a reduced number of senior defenders against Barcelona, who come into the game on the back of seven consecutive wins in all competitions.

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