Four Barcelona stars running the risk of missing Real Sociedad clash due to suspension

Barcelona will take on Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium this evening. The Catalans are heading into this local Catalonia derby on the back of a stellar 11-point lead at the top of the table, meaning a win today could ensure the league title.

Celebrating the title inside the RCDE Stadium against Espanyol was one of the things that were on Barça’s wishlist during these final weeks of the campaign.

However, even though Barcelona have the upper hand, they must still proceed this game with caution, especially with four of their players risking a suspension against Real Sociedad next week due to yellow-card suspension.

The players in question are Ferran Torres, Ousmane Dembele, Alejandro Balde and Franck Kessie.

All of the four players have picked up at least four yellow cards in La Liga this season. Registering the fifth one this evening could make them unavailable for next weekend’s encounter against Real Sociedad.

Dembele, in particular, must be careful as he would not want to miss out on the last few matches of the season, especially after spending the majority of the year on the sideline due to injury.

Kessie, too, cannot afford to pick up a booking, as he looks to compete with the likes of Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong for a place in the starting eleven. With Sergio Busquets set to leave the club at the end of the season, the Ivorian will look to make a strong impact and finish the campaign on a positive note.

Barcelona, though, have ample cover for each of these four players, even if they pick up a booking this evening. But coach Xavi Hernandez would still like to have a fully available squad at his disposal when his team takes on Real Sociedad.