Report: The reason behind Barcelona superstar being benched against PSG

Report: The reason behind Barcelona superstar being benched against PSG FC Barcelona are all set to lock horns with Paris Saint-Germain soon at Parc des Princes on Matchday 3 of the league phase of the UEFA Champions League. With kickoff almost here, Barça manager Hansi Flick has announced the starting lineup that will step on to the field to face Luis Enrique & co. And, one of the biggest surprises came in the form of the benching of Rodri. Indeed, the Catalans’ headline summer signing has been left out of the starting XI against PSG, with Marc Bernal replacing him as Pedri’s partner. Rodri not at 100% Providing an update on the actual reason behind Flick’s decision to not start Rodri at Parc des Princes, Samuel Marsden of ESPN reports that the Spain captain is not feeling 100% fit enough to feature from the get-go. Not at 100%. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) Since his arrival in the summer, the 30-year-old midfield superstar has established himself as a permanent fixture in the middle of the park for Barcelona. Up until tonight’s fixture, Rodri had featured in ten of Barça’s 11 matches across all competitions, missing the opening game of the season against Elche, starting eight of those. In all, he had played 690 minutes for the Catalans. On top of that, the World Cup winner also played in each four of Spain’s UEFA Nations League fixtures during the international break, starting three of those. Given the workload, fatigue and overload were bound to catch up with the 30-year-old former Ballon d’Or winner. No risks being taken. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) An eye on the Clasico So, it makes sense for Flick to give Rodri a breather, even though the match against PSG is of great importance. Keeping him in the team at a time when he is not at his 100% would be a risk keeping an eye on the rest of the season, especially with Barcelona set to take on Real Madrid in the all-important El Clasico this coming weekend. It remains to be seen how many minutes he gets on the pitch, if he does, during the course of the game tonight in the French capital.