Barcelonavs.Betis

The Blaugrana head into the midweek cup clash as the Spanish Super Cup winners after they produced a dominant performance to claim a 5-2 victory over rivals Real Madrid in Sunday's final in Saudi Arabia.

Hansi Flick's side have now recorded three consecutive victories, including a 4-0 victory in their most recent Copa del Rey game against Barbastro, while Betis saw off second-tier Huesca in the Round of 32.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Barcelona's injury and suspension news ahead of the last-16 encounter, with the hosts looking to reach the quarter-final stage for the third season in a row.

Inigo Martinez

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: Unknown

Martinez is a new addition to Barcelona's injury list after he was forced off in the 28th minute of Sunday's Spanish Super Cup final due to a calf injury. Subsequent reports have suggested that the defender could miss up to five weeks of action, dealing a blow to Flick's defensive options.

Andreas Christensen

Status: Out

Type of injury: Achilles

Possible return date: January 18 (vs. Getafe)

Christensen has not played since featuring as a substitute in Barcelona's season opener against Valencia in August. The Catalan giants are taking a cautious approach with his return to action, although there is seemingly hope that he could appear in a matchday squad in the near future.

Marc Bernal

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Bernal's campaign was cut short in August when he sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in an away game against Rayo Vallecano. The 17-year-old will look to return to the fold in time for the start of the 2025-26 season.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Ter Stegen is another player who is not expected to play again this season after he suffered a serious knee injury in September, sparking the chain of events which saw Wojciech Szczesny come out of retirement to represent the Blaugrana.

BARCELONA'S SUSPENSION LIST

Wojciech Szczesny

Status: Out

Possible return date: January 18 (vs. Getafe)

Szczesny was given the opportunity to start both Spanish Super Cup matches after Pena was punished for being late to an activation session ahead of the semi-final win over Athletic Club. Unfortunately for Szczesny, he was shown a straight red card for denying a goal-scoring opportunity in Sunday's 5-2 win over Real Madrid, meaning he will have to serve a one-match suspension on Wednesday.

Written by

Ben Sully