Spanish giants FC Barcelona seek to celebrate the club's 125th anniversary on Saturday when a home win against Las Palmas will keep them atop La Liga. Coach Hansi Flick will welcome Lamine Yamal back, with the young forward sidelined through an ankle injury since the eve of the last international break.
Ferran Torres is also back in the squad and central defender Inigo Martinez took part in Friday's training session after ending Tuesday's 3-0 win over Brest with a slight muscle problem.
That midweek Champions League win ended a worrying run of results for Barca, which lost 1-0 away to Real Sociedad three weeks ago and then drew 2-2 away to Celta Vigo when it conceded two late goals after being reduced to 10 men following Marc Casado's 82nd-minute red card, reports Xinhua.
Casado is suspended for Saturday and Flick will have to decide whether to recall Frenkie de Jong to his starting line-up after the Dutch midfielder was booed by a section of the fans when he came on as a second-half substitute on Tuesday.
If Flick decided against De Jong, Gavi could make his first start after recovering from his knee operation a year ago. The coach will also have to consider whether it is wise to start with Yamal or to keep him on the bench for the second half.
The 17-year-old has been crucial for Barcelona this season, and it is perhaps no surprise that Barca dropped points in two games where he was absent, but with another midweek match against Mallorca on the horizon, Barca needs to protect the youngster to avoid risking further injuries.
It appears Yamal is eager to see action again and frustrated for missing Tuesday's victory; however, with the possibility that Fermin Lopez and Ferran Torres can also make room and play alongside Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, there is no urge to rush his recovery.
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