Joao Cancelo and Ferran Torres will return to the Barcelona starting lineup when they take on Atletico Madrid at Estadio Metropolitano on Thursday.

Barcelona will aim to take a step closer to reaching the Copa del Rey final when they lock horns with Atletico Madrid at Estadio Metropolitano in the semi-final first leg on Thursday night. Hansi Flick has a new injury concern to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture.

Marcus Rashford is the latest absentee after sustaining a knee injury in the league game against RCD Mallorca this past weekend. The English international has joined Andreas Christensen (ACL), Pedri (hamstring), Gavi (knee), and Raphinha (thigh) in the treatment room.

Additionally, Flick continues to sweat over Frenkie de Jong’s fitness ahead of the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Flick provided fitness updates on Rashford and Raphinha.

The Barcelona manager said, “We’ve had a few problems. Rashford isn’t ready. He took a hit against Mallorca. It’s not good news, but I have complete confidence in my team. The situation isn’t easy. We’re playing against a fantastic team.”

“We have to look after him [Raphinha] because he’s a player who gives everything and plays with great intensity. If he feels something, we have to be careful. It’s a situation I don’t like because we need him. Just as we need Pedri, Gavi, Andreas and Marcus. He’s feeling something in his muscles and we have to take care of his body. We have to support him and keep an eye on him.”

Meanwhile, during his presser, Flick also discussed Ronald Araujo’s progress after his recent break due to mental health issues. The Barcelona boss said, “We know the situation with Ronald. He has opened up, and we have supported him as much as we can. Opening up like that means you are strong. In football, it’s all about mentality and focusing on winning.”

“Someday I’ll talk about everything. When he says he was like that for a year and a half, it’s important to take care of the players. You have to think about it. As a coach, you have to take responsibility for all the players. You have to think about more than just what’s good for you.”

Joan Garcia will take his spot between the sticks, with Barcelona lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him against Atletico Madrid on Thursday. The backline will feature Joao Cancelo, Ronald Araujo, Eric Garcia, and Gerard Martin.

As for the midfield unit, Marc Bernal will replace Marc Casado and join Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez in the middle of the park. Finally, Robert Lewandowski will lead the line for the away side against Atletico Madrid, with Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal completing the numbers in the offensive third.

Predicted Barcelona XI: Joan Garcia; Cancelo, Araujo, Eric Garcia, Martin; Olmo, Bernal, Lopez; Yamal, Lewandowski, Torres