Barcelona Chases Sixth Straight Win at Valencia with Eric García Back

Five for five. That's the number Barcelona is chasing this weekend at the Ciutat de Valencia, where it visits a Levante side that hasn't had a bad start to the season either. And Barcelona arrives with news that gives it back an important piece of its defense: Eric García is available again after missing the Champions League clash against Feyenoord.

The Catalan center back's absence was neither a coincidence nor a case of minutes management. It came down to two very specific reasons: he was serving a suspension for the red card he picked up in Barça's last European match of last season, at the Metropolitano, and he was still recovering from the broken nose he suffered just a week ago at Mestalla. He's back in the squad now, though he'll have to wear the protective mask, the same one he wore for a good stretch of last season.

Not everything is good news on the injury front. Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji remain unavailable for Hansi Flick, both carrying injuries since the summer. On the Dutchman, the German coach sounded optimistic this week:

He's a player with enormous quality and I'm very happy that he's with us. He has to recover and work, everything is going as planned, and I hope we can see him in a few weeks. We'll see what happens after the international break.Hansi Flick

A blistering start to the league season

What Barcelona has done through these first five matchdays is no small feat. 22 goals scored and a perfect record have it sitting alone atop LaLiga, with a goal difference that speaks for itself. If the Blaugrana take all three points in Valencia, they'll lock up their sixth win in six matches, a start that only reinforces the sense of solidity Flick's side has shown from day one.

On the other side, Levante won't be laying down a welcome mat. The Granota have gone three matches without a loss after falling only on opening day. Since then they've picked up two draws and a win, a run that has them sitting comfortably in mid-table early in the campaign. And watch out, because they can also do damage going forward: in their only home match in LaLiga this season, they put a resounding 5-2 past Betis.

Will that offensive punch be enough to trouble a Barcelona side on a roll? The match will tell, but the Blaugrana travel to the Ciutat de Valencia with their ambition fully intact to keep piling up three points at a time.

For this match, Flick called up: Joan García, João Cancelo, Alejandro Balde, Brian Fariñas, Pau Cubarsí, Gavi, Fermín López, Pedri, Gabriel Jesus, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Xavi Espart, Wojciech Szczesny, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martín, Dani Olmo, Marc Bernal, Jules Koundé, Eric García, Dominik Livakovic and Hamza Abdelkarim.