Overview

• Barcelona travel to Oviedo seeking to extend an unbeaten league start of 13 points from five matches as they try to keep pace with Real Madrid.
• Hansi Flick said Gavi will be sidelined for roughly five months following knee surgery, calling for patience in the midfielder’s recovery.
• Alejandro Balde will not be risked for this match and Fermín López is expected to miss about three weeks with a groin issue, according to Flick and team reports.
• Lamine Yamal remains a doubt with a groin problem and will undergo a late fitness assessment before a decision is made on his involvement.
• Pre-match projections indicate squad rotation is likely ahead of upcoming fixtures, with some outlets suggesting Robert Lewandowski could be rested and Ferran Torres may start, while newly promoted Oviedo have scored just once in five games and sit 17th.