Barcelona veteran one booking away from Champions League semi-final suspension | OneFootball

Barcelona face Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg with a 4-0 advantage, but not everything is smooth for Hansi Flick’s men.

This is because squad dynamics and player situations could still influence the approach in Germany—most notably that of veteran defender Inigo Martinez.

Notably, the experienced centre-back is just one yellow card away from a suspension that would see him miss the first leg of the semi-finals.

This leaves Barcelona with a difficult decision to make: to rest him and ensure his availability or field him and trust that he would avoid caution.

The first option

It must be remembered that Martinez started both the first leg against Dortmund and the La Liga clash against Leganes, meaning he is certainly a central figure for Flick.

However, given the advantage Barcelona have, there are reasons to support that Flick can calmly opt to rest him.

Inigo Martinez is at risk of suspension. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

However, with Alejandro Balde already injured, Barcelona cannot afford further setbacks, especially with more high-stakes matches ahead.

Adding to the argument for resting Martinez is the physical toll. Playing three demanding fixtures is likely to place unnecessary strain on a player who will be turning 34 next month.

The second option

On the other hand, Flick may be tempted to field his usual defenders to avoid disrupting the structure of a defence that performed admirably last time.

In that, Martinez brings composure, which would be extremely valuable given the environment Barcelona will face in Germany.

Ultimately, it is all about striking a balance between rotation and continuity. The sensible approach may well be to hand Martinez a rest and turn to other options to ensure he remains eligible for the Champions League semi-final.

But then again, his absence would be hard to fill for Barcelona.