Barcelona have been hit with another selection headache ahead of their Champions League opener against Feyenoord, with Hansi Flick still having to work around a number of fitness concerns and one important suspension.
The Catalan giants welcome Feyenoord to Camp Nou on Wednesday, September 9, for their opening Champions League league-phase fixture.
One of the clearest absences is Eric Garcia. The defender is suspended for the European clash after receiving a red card against Atlético Madrid in last season’s Champions League campaign, meaning Flick must reshuffle his defensive options.
There is, however, some positive news surrounding Garcia. Despite suffering another facial problem against Valencia, the versatile defender has already returned to training while wearing a protective mask and is expected to be available for the following LaLiga fixture against Levante.
The bigger concern remains in midfield.
Frenkie de Jong is still recovering from his injury and is not expected to return immediately, with the latest updates suggesting his comeback is likely to extend into October if his recovery continues without complications.
That leaves Flick having to carefully manage his midfield options at a time when Barcelona are about to enter another demanding stretch of fixtures.
The situation could also create opportunities for players further down the pecking order.
Jesse Bisiwu, who recently returned to first-team training after recovering from a thigh injury, is already registered on Barcelona’s Champions League A-list. The teenage winger has yet to make his official first-team debut, but his impressive pre-season, including a two-goal performance against Basel, has put him firmly on the radar.
For Flick, the challenge is now about balancing experience with freshness.
Barcelona have started the new campaign in spectacular fashion, including the emphatic 5-0 victory over Valencia, but the Champions League brings an entirely different level of pressure.
Every injury, suspension and fitness doubt suddenly matters.
And with Feyenoord arriving at Camp Nou for Barcelona’s first European test of the season, Flick could be forced into a few decisions he would rather not have made this early in the campaign.
The good news is that not every fitness concern has turned into a major setback.
The bad news is that Barcelona are already being forced to dig into their squad depth.
For some players, however, that crisis could become the opportunity of a lifetime.
