and met at the Camp Nou for their first La Liga clash of the 2026-27 season with a string of key players unavailable. The hosts arrived top of the table on 27 points after nine straight wins, while Real Madrid sat third on 21 points. Confirmed team sheets highlighted exactly who was missing and how both managers reshuffled their sides.
Dani Olmo was ruled out for roughly a month after suffering a thigh injury during the midweek Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Eric Garcia missed the game with a right thigh problem sustained against Real Betis, with a three- to four-week recovery window.
was unavailable with a left ankle sprain picked up in the same Betis match. Andreas Christensen remained sidelined after a thigh injury from the win at Sevilla in September.
Barcelona said in a statement at the time: “He will be out for the next few weeks, and his progress will determine his availability.”
Young winger Roony Bardghji continued his long-term absence after rupturing the ACL in his right knee during training in August.
was the most notable absentee, serving a suspension after a red card against Villarreal. He was banned for two matches for “behaving violently… (while) not being in a position to challenge for the ball” and a further two matches for “protests” to the officials after pulling an opponent’s hair.
Rodrygo stayed out with a ruptured and lateral meniscus tear sustained in March and is not expected back until at least the start of next year. Thibaut Courtois was ruled out late with flu symptoms, his first La Liga absence of the season. Ferland Mendy and Raul Asencio were also unavailable through injury.
Barcelona: Joan Garcia; Xavi Espart, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Joao Cancelo; Rodri, Pedri, Fermin Lopez; , Raphinha, Anthony Gordon. Raphinha captained the side.
Real Madrid: Andriy Lunin; Federico Valverde, Dean Huijsen, Ibrahima Konate, Marc Cucurella; Bernardo Silva, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham; Arda Guler, , Yan Diomande.
Barcelona’s defensive and midfield absences forced changes across the back line and in central areas, while Real Madrid lost their usual Brazilian attacking width and their first-choice goalkeeper. The full injury and suspension list shaped both team selections for a fixture that carried significant title implications.
