Barcelona coach Hansi Flick confirms Rodri will start El Clasico

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has confirmed that midfielder Rodri will return to the starting lineup for the upcoming El Clasico against Real Madrid. This follows Rodri’s decision to be rested at the start of Barcelona’s recent Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain.

In that Champions League fixture, Barcelona suffered a 4-2 defeat to PSG, ending their perfect record for the season. Flick explained that the decision to bench Rodri was made to manage his workload after he played significant minutes for both Barcelona and the Spanish national team. While Rodri entered the match after an hour of play, Flick noted that the team struggled with possession and mistakes during his absence.

The upcoming La Liga match against Real Madrid is a high priority for Flick, as a victory could allow Barcelona to extend their lead to nine points over Madrid. The midfielder, who joined Barcelona last summer for 60 million euros, is expected to anchor the midfield alongside Pedri.