Barça boss Valverde confirms rotations against Rayo Vallecano

Ernesto Valverde announced that he will rotate for Barcelona's game against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday. The coach confirmed "it's likely there will be some cahnges," although he suggested nothing too radical because "we've had the week off and there are four days [until the Champions League game against Lyon after]. We will be careful with some players, but we will look at it." 

The Barça boss, despite the rotations, wanted to make it clear that the Rayo game remains important: “Easing off after the Clasicos would be the first step towards not winning. There are some games everyone focuses on and others people take less seriously, and those games can win or lose you the title. Tomorrow’s game is one of them.

“As the season reaches its climax every game is tougher. There are fewer games left and as teams set their targets tension starts to build up.”

Pique

Defender Gerard Pique is the only outfield player to have played every minute of every game this season and Valverde suggested that could continue against Rayo: "Pique's having a great campaign, he's at a really high level. We have had a week off, so he's rested. Yes, he's played a lot, but he's not playing for Spain. So he doesn't have that build up of games anymore, while he's not played in the Copa much, either. We will see tomorrow, but he's at a great level." 

Boateng

Valverde's squad is once again without Kevin Prince Boateng, who has been omitted for the fifth game running, not including the Catalan Super Cup. 

"I have five players who can play as forwards," Valverde said of Boateng's omission. "Someone had to be left out, I couldn't pick them all. If it's not him, it's someone else. He has to work hard to turn the situation around."