Barcelona Reportedly Set to Rest Rodri Against PSG Ahead of El Clasico

Barcelona are reportedly set to rest Rodri for tonight's Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain, with Hansi Flick looking ahead to Sunday's El Clasico against Real Madrid.

Journalist Alfredo Martinez says the Spain midfielder will sit out the PSG game even though he has no injury or fitness problem. If it happens, it would be a workload call and not a response to any physical issue, as Barca face another huge test just days later.

Leaving out one of the team's key men for a game of this size would be a big decision. Rodri had a slow start to life at Barca because of back trouble and a registration delay, but he has been a regular since he broke into the starting line-up. He has played 690 minutes in 10 games in all competitions this season, starting eight, which works out at an average of 69 minutes a game.

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Keeping him fresh for the weekend makes sense, with little room for error in the big games. The hard part for Flick is that none of his other midfielders offers quite the same mix of control, experience and tactical know-how.

If Rodri does sit out, Gavi, Marc Bernal, Fermin Lopez and Dani Olmo are all options to play alongside Pedri. Each would bring something different, and Flick's pick will show whether he wants control, energy or creativity in the middle against PSG.