Barcelona's Casado sidelined by discomfort

Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado's promotion in the team has been hindered by physical discomfort, with manager Hansi Flick confirming the academy player missed training days this week. "Casado missed a day of training this week, and yesterday he couldn't do much even though he trained," Flick stated after the Villarreal match.

The 20-year-old, who had a breakthrough last season, has now gone three consecutive matches without playing a single minute. With Frenkie de Jong ruled out until mid-April, Casado had opportunities but has fallen behind Marc Bernal in the pecking order, with Flick noting "Bernal is a bit ahead of him right now."