Villarreal vs. Barcelona: Predicted XI for Hansi Flick's side in La Liga showdown

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick could be without the services of four players for Sunday's La Liga contest with Villarreal.

Gavi (knee), Ronald Araujo (personal), Dani Olmo (shoulder) are definitely out of the fixture, while Pedri has emerged as a major doubt, with a minor calf problem preventing the Spain international from training alongside his teammates on Friday.

No risks will be taken with Pedri ahead of the winter break in Spain, so it would not be a surprise to see Eric Garcia and Frenkie de Jong line up as the two central midfielders.

Flick has big decisions to make in the final third of the field, but Ferran Torres is likely to be given the nod over Robert Lewandowski, while Fermin Lopez could feature instead of Marcus Rashford, with Raphinha potentially operating in a wide area.

Torres is Barcelona's leading goalscorer this season, finding the back of the net on 13 occasions, while Lamine Yamal has eight goals and 11 assists in 19 appearances.

The Catalan giants are an incredible force in the final third of the field, but they have had defensive issues this term, conceding 20 times in La Liga already.

Gerard Martin is expected to again be given the nod alongside Pau Cubarsi in the middle of the defence, with Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde in the full-back spots.

Barcelona possible starting lineup:

J Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martin, Balde; De Jong, E Garcia; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; Torres