When are Barcelona going to catch a break when it comes to sending players away on international duty or otherwise?!
It was bad enough that Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez clearly already had injury problems,
Gavi was out for the foreseeable future and Raphinha also wouldn’t be kicking a ball across the current international break and beyond.
Not to mention that one of the most impressive goalkeepers we’ve seen at the club in many a year, Joan Garcia, was out of contention and likely not to be back until after El Clasico had taken place.
Although Dani Olmo hasn’t enjoyed the best of seasons to date his omission means that Hansi Flick now has limited options in midfield, and the most recent news that Robert Lewandowski is out for up to four weeks with a muscle tear in the biceps femoris of his left thigh has just about topped things off.
Oh, did I mention that Ferran Torres, whilst not exactly injured, has had to leave Spanish national team duty early as a precaution.
Forget about the Clasico for now because that doesn’t really bear thinking about at this stage. Before then there is the small matter of facing Girona in a Catalan derby and Olympiacos in the Champions League, both winnable games but with Barca nowhere near full strength they could prove to be banana skins.
Though Lamine and Fermin are back in training, it would be a brave man indeed that would put either of them in the starting XI before the Clasico unless they can both prove that they are absolutely 100% fit. Not 90% or 95%, but in tip-top condition, because the management team cannot afford to be taking chances at this stage of the season.
Of course, absences are part and parcel of the game and that’s why there is a squad available, though how Flick decides upon the make up of his front three and midfield is anyone’s guess.
A start for Marc Bernal may also be in Flick’s mind, though there must still be a little reticence there with the player having been out for so long and only just coming back.
Fingers crossed Pedri stays free of the current curse and lines up alongside Frenkie de Jong.
Marcus Rashford can play anywhere along the front three, though the expectation will be that he’ll remain on the left side with Roony Bardghji given a start on the right and, with any luck, Ferran taking up the centre-forward position.
Hardly ideal, particularly if that’s how Barca have to start against a Real Madrid side that are easing through the gears at present.
The only saving grace is we’re still early enough in the season that points can be clawed back as we go deeper into the campaign, and Barca still remain unstoppable when they have their full complement of starters.
