Bad and good news for Barça: Iñigo Martínez injured; Christensen back

FC Barcelona has made public the list of players called up for the match against Betis this Saturday, April 5 (21:00h) with two major updates. The first of these is the absence of Iñigo Martínez, a last-minute withdrawal for the match against the team managed by Manuel Pellegrini due to a physical setback that prevented him from being part of the squad.

The club itself reported this through a statement released on its official channels, revealing that the Basque center-back "suffers a minor muscle injury in the glute of his left leg and is unavailable for this match". A piece of news that, in principle, should not worry Barça fans, as this injury is not deemed serious and the player will be available for the team against Borussia Dortmund.

Although the incident is minor, the player will not be on the bench as his rest is a priority for a quick recovery. Iñigo pushed himself to help the team after the injury that prevented him from answering the call from Luis de la Fuente during the last international break, and these discomforts have returned to hinder him, which is why Barça has decided to manage his workload to ensure he is at full strength during this crucial stage of the season.

Iñigo will lead Barça's defense against Dortmund

And indeed, the player from Ondarroa, who suffered a meniscus injury in his right knee in the match against Atlético de Madrid prior to the FIFA date, rushed his return to the pitch to be available for Flick in the match against Osasuna, where Araujo returned just in time after his participation with Uruguay and Pau Cubarsí was sidelined due to an ankle injury.

The center-back played the full 90 minutes against the red-and-whites, three days later he played 81 minutes against Girona, and finally completed the match against Atleti in the Copa del Rey, which was a highly demanding clash. Therefore, the coach has given him total rest and the player will watch this Saturday's match from home.

However, Iñigo is expected to lead the Blaugrana defense in the match next Wednesday, April 9 against Borussia Dortmund for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. Flick needs him in a match where his leadership and command from the back are essential. Despite this, caution will dictate the club's roadmap, and if these minor discomforts do not subside, the player will remain sidelined, although at Can Barça they are optimistic.

Andreas Christensen received medical clearance

Who will be available for the clash on April 5 against Betis is Andreas Christensen, who received medical clearance after overcoming the problems in his soleus that have plagued him in recent months and will be available to the coach at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

The Danish player returned to first-team training a week ago and will now rejoin the group in an official match after being sidelined for just over three weeks. Thus, the player will begin his path to redemption after having a season to forget where physical problems have hindered him from the start,

Christensen has played just 26 minutes this season, which were in the opening league match at Mestalla. Since then, an injury to his left Achilles tendon, which kept him out for almost six months, and various muscle setbacks in the soleus of his right leg have prevented the player from having a prominent role in Flick's new project. Now, with these issues behind him, the '15' hopes to step up and turn his situation around in the City of Barcelona.