Barcelona face a defensive ahead of their La Liga clash with Valencia.
The Blaugrana crashed back down to reality on Sunday night following their big win over Atletico Madrid, drawing with local rivals Espanyol.
Barca were fortunate to get a point, with Luuk de Jong scoring as late as the 96th minute to help his side avoid defeat.
But the draw was a costly one, with Gerard Pique getting sent off, meaning he will miss this week’s clash with Valencia.
Starting centre-back Ronald Araujo also came off injured, and the centre-back issues don’t end there.
Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet are already injured and ruled out for this weekend’s clash.
And that means, pending Araujo’s situation, Xavi Hernandez could be left with only Eric Garcia and Oscar Mingueza to choose from at centre-back.
That’s far from ideal ahead of a tricky fixture at Mestalla against a solid Valencia side.
It’s not ideal for the Europa League clash with Napoli on Thursday, either, but Pique will be available for that one with his suspension only applicable in La Liga.
