Barça Starting XI Without Frenkie and Eric: Just One Change

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Barça Starting XI Without Frenkie and Eric: Just One Change.

The starting lineup for the match against Atlético de Madrid at the Metropolitano is confirmed. According to Mundo Deportivo, updated on 08/11/2026 at 7:50 p.m. CET, Hansi Flick will retain most of the team from the Champions League match against Aston Villa. Only one position will change: Marc Bernal will step up in place of the absent Rodri.

That means for the lineup: 11 players will start. Alongside Bernal, Brian Fariñas, Pedri, Fermín, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Gordon remain in the same selection as last time. According to the source, the one change was not voluntary but forced by Rodri’s absence.

The Starting XI Remains Almost Unchanged

The eleven players

For the start, Mundo Sporting names Joan Garcia, Fariñas, Cubarsí, Gerard Martín and Cancelo in defense. Bernal, Pedri and Fermín will play in midfield. Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Gordon will form the attack.

The comparison with the match against Aston Villa is therefore clear: Flick has changed only one player in the starting lineup. All the other players selected for the previous match remain in the team. Marc Bernal in particular makes the change easy to understand. He replaces the Madrid-born Rodri, while the rest of the personnel are not rearranged.

For you, this means: The coach’s decision is not a major reshuffle. Barcelona will retain the familiar lineup and respond to Rodri’s absence with a targeted personnel change. According to the report, no additional change at right-back is needed either, because Fariñas will continue to play there.

Marc Bernal Replaces Rodri

Rodri’s place

Rodri is not in the starting lineup and will be replaced by Marc Bernal. This means that the player the report describes as the first to be unavailable will leave the team. The source explicitly describes the switch as forced.

This limits the interpretation: The stability of the rest of the lineup is intentional and documented. The only adjustment concerns Rodri’s position. Anyone inferring a tactical reorganization from this would be going beyond the information provided by the source. Only the one personnel change is supported by the evidence.

Fariñas Remains on the Right

Right-back

Brian Fariñas is still expected to play as right-back. The right side of the starting lineup therefore remains covered while Bernal takes over Rodri’s position. In the published XI, Fariñas and Cancelo occupy the full-back positions alongside Cubarsí and Gerard Martín.

For the overall order of the starting lineup, this is an important point: The change is not at full-back. Fariñas remains on the right, Rodri is absent, and Bernal steps up. This makes the only change between the two starting lineups understandable and prevents the mistaken assumption that Flick restructured multiple positions.

Frenkie and Eric Are Not in the Starting XI

The two personnel questions

Frenkie de Jong and Eric Garcia are not part of the named starting lineup. The source gives no reason for either player. It explicitly establishes only that they are not starting.

Eric Garcia’s status in the published squad is clearer: He is on the bench alongside 13 other players. According to Mundo Deportivo, those players include Szczesny, Livakovic, Balde, Christensen, Àlex Campos, Gavi, De Jong, Tunkara, Gabriel Jesus, Adeyemi and Hamza, as well as coach Hansi Flick. For Frenkie de Jong, the lineup also lists De Jong on the bench but does not name him in the starting XI.

The following can therefore be established: Neither is a starter, but the report explains neither an injury nor a rotation. Anyone deriving an exact reason from the non-starts would be adding information that is not in the source.

Four Players Are Absent Through Injury

The confirmed absences

Unlike in the cases of Frenkie and Eric, the reasons for other absences are explicitly stated: Barcelona cannot field Espart, Koundé, Dani Olmo and Roony. All four are injured and traveled to Madrid while the rest of the team remained in Barcelona.

These four names mark the personnel framework behind the starting lineup. Rodri is also unavailable, but he is not listed together with the four named injuries in the available lineup. For the starting lineup, this means: Bernal compensates for Rodri’s absence, while the other absences affect the wider squad.

What the Report Establishes — and What It Does Not

Three confirmed facts

First: Against Atlético de Madrid, there is only one change in the starting lineup compared with Aston Villa. Second: Marc Bernal replaces Rodri, while Brian Fariñas starts on the right. Third: Frenkie de Jong and Eric Garcia do not start; both are included in the published bench lineup, but the reasons remain unclear.

The report also says that Joan Laporta has already traveled to Madrid with the team. He had been at the Ciutat Esportiva the previous day to support the players and met with Enrique Cerezo to clarify the situation involving Julián Álvarez. This provides context for the matchday, while the starting lineup itself remains clear at 11 players.

Extra value for you: The detailed report from Mundo Deportivo lists the complete starting lineup and substitute squad for the match at the Metropolitano.