Barcelona head into another important week with Aston Villa and Atlético Madrid on the schedule and four players injured in defence. Hansi Flick is relying on his established options as the team tries to manage the absences and maintain its push for the league and Champions League titles.
The change follows a difficult spell after Barcelona’s run of 11 consecutive wins to start the season. The team lost to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid in the same week, with Flick acknowledging that he had considered the Clásico when selecting his side for the Champions League match in Paris. He later said Rodri would have started if the Madrid game had not been so close.
Flick said the defeats had not changed his view of the squad. He described Barcelona’s football as strong and said the team had the quality to achieve its goals, while stressing that he was focused on the matches ahead rather than looking back.
Barcelona host Aston Villa first. Flick praised the English side’s form and manager Unai Emery, calling the Champions League fixture difficult. In midfield, Dani Olmo is unavailable through injury, while Pedri, Rodri and Fermín have played more minutes than Gavi and Bernal so far. Frenkie de Jong has recently featured both in midfield and at centre-back.
The defensive options are particularly limited. Christensen, Eric, Koundé and Espart are injured, leaving Flick with fewer choices from a group of eight defenders. Barcelona had considered signing Inter defender Bastoni, but Flick rejected that option and said he was prepared to use Gerard Martín at centre-back. In training on Monday, Martín partnered Pau Cubarsí in the starting defence.
Flick said the number and quality of the injured players made the situation difficult to manage. He added that he hoped to have them all back after the international break, including Olmo. In attack, Lamine Yamal remains a regular starter, while Raphinha’s availability has been affected by injuries. Gordon, who was a substitute against Alavés, returned to the starting side in Monday’s session.
Sources: El País Deportes.