Defensive crisis for Villarreal threatens La Liga title charge against Barcelona

The Yellow Submarine sit third in the table and have won six league matches in a row, but their bid to close the gap on leaders Barcelona, who have tallied seven straight wins in all competitions, faces a real test with so many absences.

Villarreal travel into the game eight points behind Barcelona with two games in hand, but preparations were further disrupted after last weekend's fixture against Levante was postponed because of severe weather in the Valencia region. The postponement interrupted the rhythm of the Yellow Submarine, who were also knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Segunda outfit Racing Santander in midweek.

Marcelino confirmed that muscle problems suffered by defenders Juan Foyth and Sergi Cardona in Santander will rule both out of the Barcelona match. "Sergi and Juan Foyth had muscular problems and we had to substitute them," Marcelino said after the game, underlining how difficult it will be to call on them this weekend.

Those two injuries add to a long list of players unavailable for Villarreal. Midfielders Thomas Partey and Gerard Moreno remain sidelined with fitness issues, while defenders Logan Costa, Willy Kambwala and Santiago Mourino are also out.

In addition, Pape Gueye and Ilias Akhomach are on Africa Cup of Nations duty and will miss Sunday's showdown.

The defensive options for the hosts are now thin. Pau Navarro is expected to start at right-back with Adria Altimira passed over, and centre-backs Rafa Marin and Renato Veiga are likely to be partnered with Alfonso Pedraza on the left. It leaves Marcelino with barely any senior defenders to choose from against a Barcelona side that leads the league and has been in prolific form.

For Villarreal it represents a dramatic finale to 2025: a club with genuine title aspirations reduced to makeshift rearguards, while Barcelona prepare to extend their dominance at the top of La Liga heading into the winter break.