How Covid-hit Barcelona could be forced to line up in Mallorca

Barcelona were already short for this weekend's trip to Mallorca due to Busquets and Gavi's suspensions and injuries to important players such as Ansu, Memphis and Pedri before they were hit by Covid-19 this week.

Up to seven cases have been detected in the depleted Barça ranks so far to leave Xavi struggling to piece together an XI for San Moix this weekend. Alves, Umtiti, Lenglet, Balde, Jordi Alba, Gavi and Dembélé have all tested positive.

And so, the picture is as follows: despite the fact that Xavi was already counting on youth and the B team a lot, he now only has nine players available from the first team to face Mallorca.

With this scenario, Xavi and surely a good number of Barca fans have a very clear question: Who will play against Mallorca? It is the million-dollar question when there are still four days to go before the game begins.

The truth is that with the plague of injuries and with league regulations that require teams to play with a minimum of seven first-team players, the coach has a tough job.

The B team players who are almost guaranteed to be in the side are Nico, Jutglà and Abde. All three have been important this season, they are healthy and with Gavi's sanction and Covid-19 there is no dilemma.

Remember that Xavi can line up with up to four players from the reserve team if he wishes, but an expulsion of a player from the first team would make Barça lose the game since they must always have seven players from the first-team group on thee pitch -- Nico et al are still registered with the reserves.

Thus, Barça could draw a XI that would be very similar to this: Ter Stegen; Araujo, Piqué, Eric, Mingueza; Frenkie de Jong, Nico, Riqui Puig; Abde, Jutglà and Coutinho.

It would be a full alignment of circumstances. What Xavi has available right now. Neto, Luuk de Jong and Dest, if he is fit in the end, would wait on the bench.