Barcelona will aim to bounce back from their 2-1 El Clasico defeat to Real Madrid when they host Elche in LaLiga on Sunday, but they will be without midfielder Pedri, who is sidelined for several weeks with a leg muscle injury.

The Catalan giants, second in the standings and five points behind leaders Real Madrid, have been heavily impacted by injuries this season. Manager Hansi Flick faces a mounting challenge as Pedri joins a long list of absentees, including Robert Lewandowski, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Raphinha, and goalkeepers Joan Garcia and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Teenager Lamine Yamal, recently back from rehabilitation, continues to battle a lingering groin problem, while key players such as Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde, Alejandro Balde, and Fermin Lopez have also faced injury setbacks. In total, Barcelona have had 15 players unavailable since the start of the campaign.

Elche, eighth in the table with 14 points from 10 matches, are coming off a three-game winless run but remain one of the season’s surprise performers. They sit just two points shy of the European qualification spots and could look to exploit Barcelona’s injury woes.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid, managed by Xabi Alonso, host struggling Valencia on Saturday. The defending champions have enjoyed an outstanding start to the season, winning 12 of their 13 matches across all competitions.

Tensions have emerged, however, following Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr’s visible frustration at being substituted in last week’s El Clasico. While the player apologized on Wednesday, he notably did not mention Alonso, sparking speculation of a potential rift. Alonso addressed the issue, stating: “These are things we will handle internally.”

With a Champions League clash against Liverpool scheduled for Tuesday, Alonso may rotate his squad for the weekend fixture. Valencia, 18th in LaLiga with nine points, are without a win in nearly six weeks and are already battling to avoid relegation.

Elsewhere, third-placed Villarreal host Rayo Vallecano, while fourth-placed Atletico Madrid welcome Sevilla to the Metropolitano Stadium, as both sides look to close the gap on the league’s top two.