Barcelona midfield duo in contention to start against Espanyol | OneFootball

After a week filled with euphoria, Barcelona will look to continue their winning momentum as they take on local rivals Espanyol this weekend.

With the Catalans holding a solid six-point lead at the top of the table, sealing another three points on Sunday could go a long way in putting more pressure on Real Madrid.

However, with games coming thick and fast, it will be imperative for Hansi Flick to keep his troops fresh, especially now that a few injured players have returned to full fitness.

Olmo, de Jong may start vs Espanyol

To that end, a recent report from Diario SPORT suggests Flick is considering starting Frenkie de Jong and Dani Olmo against Espanyol this weekend.

De Jong’s impactful performance against Real Madrid was crucial in turning the course of the game. Following the stellar display, the midfielder feels more confident.

Olmo, meanwhile, also made an impact against Real Madrid by creating a few goalscoring opportunities against a hapless Los Blancos defence.

Flick believes both can start against Espanyol – a team known for their deep defensive lines and ability to maintain discipline.

De Jong may start against Espanyol (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Should these two start, de Jong is likely to operate alongside Pedri in the double pivot, whereas Olmo should start in the number ten position.

Gavi to see more minutes?

Apart from starting de Jong and Olmo, Flick also plans to hand more game-time to Gavi, who has recently returned from injury.

Although the Barcelona medical team is concerned about the youngster’s fitness and does not want to rush him back to action, Flick believes it is a good time to hand a bit more responsibility to the player.

That being said, Gavi is not in contention to start against Espanyol and may only have to settle for an appearance from the bench.

Nevertheless, Flick sees the Espanyol game as the ideal opportunity for some players to get closer to the competitive tone of their teammates.