La Liga 2024-25: Barcelona Aims for Victory at Home Against Las Palmas in Celebration of 125th Anniversary
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Madrid (Spain), Nov 29 (NationPress) The illustrious FC Barcelona is looking to commemorate its 125th anniversary this Saturday with a crucial home victory over Las Palmas that would help solidify its lead in La Liga. Coach Hansi Flick is set to welcome back Lamine Yamal, who has been recovering from an ankle injury sustained just before the last international break. Additionally, Ferran Torres has rejoined the squad, and central defender Inigo Martinez participated in Friday's training session following a minor muscle issue that arose at the end of Tuesday's 3-0 Champions League win against Brest.
This recent midweek victory was a much-needed boost for Barcelona, who suffered a 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad three weeks ago and subsequently drew 2-2 against Celta Vigo, conceding two late goals after a red card for Marc Casado in the 82nd minute, as reported by Xinhua.
Casado is suspended for Saturday's match, prompting Flick to deliberate whether to reinstate Frenkie de Jong in the starting line-up, especially after the Dutch midfielder faced boos from a section of fans upon his second-half substitution on Tuesday.
If Flick opts not to start De Jong, Gavi may be in line for his first start since undergoing knee surgery a year ago. The coach will also need to weigh the benefits of starting Yamal or conserving him for the second half.
The 17-year-old has been instrumental for Barcelona this season, and it's perhaps unsurprising that the team dropped points in the two games he missed. However, with another midweek fixture against Mallorca approaching, it becomes essential to manage the young player’s participation to mitigate the risk of further injuries.
Yamal is reportedly eager to return to action and was disappointed to miss Tuesday's win, but with Fermin Lopez and Ferran Torres available to assist Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, there is no immediate need to rush his comeback.
