{
  "id": 15780323,
  "title": "Report: The reason behind Barcelona superstar being benched against PSG",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/report-the-reason-behind-barcelona-superstar-being-benched-against-psg",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-20T18:04:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/report-reason-behind-barcelona-superstar-180400387.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "FC Barcelona are preparing to face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League, with a key player named Rodri missing from the starting lineup. The reason behind his absence from the game is Samuel Marsden of ESPN's report that Rodri is not feeling fully fit, only at 90% of his usual condition. Rodri has been a vital player for Barcelona, playing in ten of their eleven matches across all competitions since his summer arrival, with only one game missed. He has contributed 690 minutes to the team, and played in each of Spain's UEFA Nations League fixtures during the international break. Given the importance of the upcoming match against PSG and the need to manage Rodri's workload, it is logical for Flick to give him a rest. Barcelona are set to take on Real Madrid in the crucial El Clasico game the following weekend, and keeping Rodri on the bench is a calculated risk to safeguard his fitness for the rest of the season.",
  "summary": "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 F...",
  "key_points": [
    "Rodri benched due to 90% fitness, not fully fit",
    "Barcelona star Rodri played 10 of 11 matches since summer",
    "Flick resting Rodri to protect fitness for El Clasico"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "The reason behind LeBron James’ special jersey for his Philadelphia 76ers debut",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/the-reason-behind-lebron-james-special-jersey-for-his-philadelphia",
        "published": "2026-10-20T21:09:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}