Barcelona secured a morale-boosting victory over Alaves on Saturday, clinching a two-goal win for only the third time since September. However, the match was marred by a red card for Vitor Roque, who received a second booking after a challenge on Rafa Marin.
Roque's dismissal stemmed from a contentious incident, where Marin lunged in with his studs showing, but managed to make contact with the ball before the Brazilian prodigy.
As Roque slid through, his studs accidentally collided with Marin, resulting in a second yellow card. The decision left Xavi Hernandez, Roque, and their teammates baffled.
Barcelona lodged an appeal against the second yellow card, which was issued to Roque for "making contact with the opposition player's leg in a reckless manner." Reports suggest that the Catalan club will utilise video footage to demonstrate that Roque did not make contact with Marin.
The likelihood of the decision being overturned is slim, as it requires proving a material error in the referee's judgment, specifically an error in signalling the foul. While instances of such reversals have occurred earlier in the season, the footage must be unequivocally clear.
This poses a concern for Xavi, as he currently has only Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski fit in his forward line, with Ferran Torres, Raphinha, and Joao Felix sidelined with injuries. While there is a possibility of the Brazilian returning, the next available option is also nursing an injury.
Striker Marc Guiu sustained a thigh injury against Logrono while playing for Barca Atletic on Sunday. After undergoing tests, reports suggest that Guiu is expected to miss a week due to the muscle injury.
This could prompt Barcelona to consider calling up Unai Hernandez or Pau Victor from the reserves for the upcoming home match against Granada, although there are indications that Guiu could recover in time for the fixture, according to MD.
On a positive note, Marc-Andre ter Stegen appears poised to return after nearly three months out with injury, while Joao Cancelo, who experienced discomfort in the Alaves match, is also targeting a comeback against Los Nazaries.
With two rare midweeks without a game ahead, Barcelona will next face Napoli in Champions League action. If Guiu and Roque are unavailable, Xavi may contemplate deploying Cancelo or Fermin Lopez further forward.
