Barcelona misses Szczesny in the King's Cup

Barcelona will be without their Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny for Wednesday's Copa del Rey clash with Real Betis due to suspension, following his sending off in the Clasico against Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup. Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano showed Szczesny a red card in the second half of the match between the two teams in the Spanish Super Cup, which the Catalans won 5-2. According to the newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", the new rules of the Spanish Federation stipulate that a suspension resulting from tournaments such as the Spanish Super Cup prevents the player from participating in any activity related to these competitions, including being on the bench or in the dressing room, even if the match dates are postponed or changed. The newspaper added that goalkeeper Iñaki Peña will return to the starting lineup for the upcoming match against Real Betis, in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, which will be held at Montjuïc Stadium. On the other hand, the newspaper confirmed that Szczesny will only miss the cup match, while coach Hansi Flick will be able to rely on him in the Spanish League match against Getafe next Saturday.