Major blow for Barcelona as key player is ruled out of final match of 2023 against Almeria

Barcelona are in the midst of a difficult moment, one that they could not break out of against Valencia on Saturday. Despite a strong performance at the Mestalla, especially so in the second half, Xavi’s side stretched their winless run to three matches following a 1-1 draw.

As a result, Barcelona would be nine points off top spot in La Liga if Girona defeat Alaves on Monday. This means that it will be imperative for the Catalans to will their final match before the winter break, which sees them take on bottom side Almeria at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Wednesday.

However, they will be without one of their undisputed starters for that match, as Sport have reported that Frenkie de Jong picked up his fifth booking of the season in La Liga against Valencia, meaning that he has triggered an automatic one-match suspension. As such, he won’t face the struggling Andalusian side.

De Jong’s absence could mean that Oriol Romeu returns to the side – the veteran midfielder massively struggled against Royal Antwerp earlier this week, but things could be easier against Almeria. Equally, Xavi may opt to play Ilkay Gundogan in a deeper role, but whatever happens, Barcelona must win that match.