Flick sticks with same 22-man squad that beat Athletic Club for Rayo Vallecano clash

Hansi Flick decided not to change a thing. And when something works, it makes sense to leave it alone. For Monday's match against Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou, the German coach named the exact same 22 players who already delivered a win over Athletic Club this past Thursday in LaLiga. No new absences, no surprises on the list.

Among those called up are familiar names like Joan Garcia in goal, alongside Wojciech Szczesny as his backup; a defense featuring Cancelo, Balde, Cubarsi, Kounde, Christensen, Eric Garcia and Gerard Martin; and up front, the usual group of Pedri, Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Dani Olmo and Marc Bernal, among others. The list is rounded out by academy prospects Xavi Espart, Brian Farinas, Hamza Abdelkarim and Eder Aller, who continue picking up minutes with the first team.

The three absences that remain unchanged

Injuries still explain three specific gaps in Flick's squad. Gavi, who went off injured during the league opener against Elche, is closest to returning: the club's plan has him available for the match against Valencia next weekend. The situation is different for Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji, both of whom face longer recoveries with no firm return date yet.

Beyond the injuries, one name has been out of the picture for some time now due to a coaching decision: Marc Casado. Flick already told him during preseason that the best move for everyone would be to find him a way out, since he wasn't going to get minutes at Barca. With the transfer window about to close, the midfielder is still waiting for an offer that convinces him both personally and financially, and that also satisfies the club.

Two signings still waiting to debut

Two recent additions are also missing from the list. Dominik Livakovic, signed last week, still doesn't have his immediate future settled: the club is weighing whether to keep him this summer as backup goalkeeper or loan him out with a return planned for 2027. And Gabriel Jesus, the last-minute signing, is still waiting to pass his medical before his arrival becomes official.

Given all this, Flick is betting on continuity rather than experimentation. Barcelona heads into the match against Rayo Vallecano trusting the same group that handled the Athletic Club fixture well, while waiting for the missing pieces, whether sidelined by injury, coaching decisions or transfer paperwork, to fall into place in the coming weeks.