Another puzzle defense for Pep against Mallorca

Barça travel to Mallorca without full-backs for the latest casualties of Alves and Adriano.

Pep Guardiola will restore the starting line and improvise a defensive line in Mallorca. A low long-lasting disease Fontàs and Abidal should be added now, after the league match against Granada, the injury absence of Adriano, which will keep KO ten days, and Alves through suspension.

With Maxwell in PSG from the winter, the engineer has only two pure centre-backs (Puyol and Piqué), a converted (Mascherano) and a midfielder capable of assuming this role (Busquets). No side, neither right nor left, and four subsidiary defenses emergency recruited by the coaching staff: Marc Bartra, Muniesa, Montoya and Jonathan dos Santos, yesterday and exercised with the first team.

Barça coach has the option to play three back and take the only defense you have. Puyol, Piqué and Mascherano have acted together only once. It was in the Copa del Rey match against Osasuna and ended with victory bulky (4-0).

If uses four defenders, will be an unprecedented alignment and that Pep has designed 25 different officers in all 49 games this season. Puyol, and Jonathan dos Santos Montoya have dealt at some point the right full-back.

The homegrown, in Copa (Hospitalet and Osasuna), in Champions (BATE) and Liga (Valencia), while the captain had to deal with Mathieu and Jordi Alba in the two matches of the semifinals against the team of hostesses Unai Emery. (via MD)