Mallorca have suffered a major blow in midfield ahead of their upcoming clash against FC Barcelona. Portuguese international Samu Costa, who went down injured just 13 minutes into the Trofeo Ciudad de Palma friendly against Hamburg, will miss the opening match due to a contusion and swelling in his left knee. Although the injury is not considered serious, it rules him out for the next match.
Costa’s absence is compounded by the suspension of Omar Mascarell, carried over from last season. The setback
could also mark the midfielder’s last days with the club. His agent, Jorge Mendes, is reportedly in talks with Mallorca about a transfer, with Premier League side Bournemouth emerging as the frontrunner. Costa is said to be eager for the move to keep his place in Portugal’s plans for the September 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Barcelona, for their part, will begin their 2025–26 La Liga campaign away to Mallorca on August 16, with coach Hansi Flick seeking a strong start despite several key absences.
The Blaugrana are starting the season with their first three matches away from home while work continues on the redevelopment of Camp Nou. The club hopes to partially reopen the stadium in time for the September 14 fixture against Valencia.
For the trip to Palma, Marc-André ter Stegen is sidelined through injury, prompting La Liga to approve the use of the injury salary space rule to register Joan Garcia, who will start in goal instead. Star striker Robert Lewandowski is also likely to miss out with a muscle issue, while Marcus Rashford’s debut remains dependent on his registration being processed before the squad departs.
