Barcelona Rests Rodri Against PSG Amid Fitness Concerns

Barcelona opted to leave Rodri on the bench for its UEFA Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain on October 20, 2026, amid reports that the midfielder was managing a mild muscle overload. Hansi Flick reportedly made the decision as a precaution, with a demanding match against Real Madrid approaching and the club yet to confirm the player's condition officially.

According to Jornada Perfecta, Marc Bernal was selected to take Rodri's place in the starting lineup. The report said the decision could help Barcelona manage the midfielder's workload during a particularly demanding week, although it remained unclear whether he would feature in the second half.

The selection decision followed Rodri's recent warning that Barcelona needed to improve defensively despite its impressive attacking output. The midfielder had scored his first goal for the club in a 5-2 victory over Real Betis, heading home from a Fermín López corner in a match that featured five different Barcelona scorers.

Rodri nevertheless identified defensive shortcomings as an area requiring urgent attention before facing Europe's strongest opposition. Speaking to Cadena COPE's El Partidazo, he said, "We are quite good in attack, but we have to improve a lot defensively. We are still conceding too many goals.

We have to make adjustments to reach our full potential." The midfielder also described PSG as a formidable opponent ahead of the European fixture.

Barcelona's statistics highlighted the contrast between its attacking strength and defensive vulnerabilities. According to Sports Illustrated's October 18 report, the team had scored 48 goals and conceded 11 across its first 11 official matches of the season.

In LaLiga, Flick's side had won all nine matches, collecting 27 points from a possible 27 while scoring 39 goals and conceding nine. In the Champions League, Barcelona had scored nine goals and allowed two in its opening matches, according to the same report.

The defensive concerns were also highlighted by El Nacional on October 19, which noted that Barcelona had conceded twice against Galatasaray and twice against Real Betis in recent matches. One of Galatasaray's goals was subsequently ruled out by the video assistant referee, the report said.

Rodri warned that the upcoming European match would provide a significant test of Barcelona's progress. "The PSG is possibly the best team in the world. It will be a good test for us," he said in comments reported by Sports Illustrated and El Nacional.

The midfielder had previously expressed his anticipation for the demanding schedule in an interview with El Partidazo in September. Discussing the upcoming fixtures, he said, "We are ready for the week ahead. We are going to play against the Champions League winners and our biggest rival. We are motivated."

Barcelona's defensive options had also been reduced by injuries, according to El Nacional. Eric Garcia was expected to miss several weeks, while Jules Koundé's availability for El Clasico remained uncertain. Andreas Christensen was also unavailable, leaving Flick with fewer options in defense ahead of the matches against PSG and Real Madrid.

Jornada Perfecta reported that Barcelona had not officially confirmed a muscle overload for Rodri at the time of publication. His potential involvement during the second half therefore remained uncertain as the team managed its preparations for the upcoming Clasico against Real Madrid.