Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick said that Spanish midfielder Rodri will be back in the starting 11 for the El Clasico after initially being rested for the club’s UEFA Champions League 2026-27 loss against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old came on after an hour of the game in Paris, as Barcelona’s perfect record this season came to an end.
“Yes, but you know Rodri played a lot of minutes with the national team and also the last games with us,” Flick told reporters after the 4-2 defeat.
“I spoke with him this morning, and I told him that we made this decision, and Marc Bernal started instead. For me, it was a good solution what we did and hopefully he is fresh on Sunday,” he added.
Flick noted that the upcoming Clasico, in which Barca has the chance to go nine points ahead of Madrid in La Liga, influenced his team selection “a lot”.
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Barcelona had to come from behind twice, with Desire Doue and Lucas Hernandez’s goals being cancelled out by Xavi Espart and Lamine Yamal. PSG then put the game to bed with Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz finding the back of the net.
“I think it was a fantastic game from both teams but we made too many mistakes, especially in possession,” Flick said.
“But I also saw a lot of good things. For me, it was a great test for us, and you also saw today what errors we have to improve to make things better. We have to learn from this game. Today, in October, you cannot win titles. You win the Champions League in June,” he added.
Flick added that the upcoming Clasico on October 25, in which Barcelona has the chance to take a nine-point lead on Real Madrid in La Liga, influenced his team selection “a lot”.
Published on Oct 21, 2026