THE 'FIGHT' IN BARÇA'S MIDDLE FIELD
8 players for 3 places: Hansi Flick's big 'puzzle' at Barça
Published:13/10/2024 - 19:09h
Updated:13/10/2024 - 22:11h
Hansi Flick will have Gavi, Olmo and Fermín back when he returns from the break. They will join De Jong, Pedri, Casadó and Torre in the fight for three places in midfield
FC Barcelona's infirmary will be even more depleted at the end of the October international break. Once all the internationals have returned to the first team, Dani Olmo, Gavi and Fermín López will also be under the orders of Hansi Flick as they face the final stretch of their recovery from injuries during these two weeks of the FIFA date.
A list of recoveries in which Frenkie de Jong has appeared for a couple of games, allowing the German coach to have four reinforcements for the midfield in one go after being forced to 'make do' in recent months, even more so after Marc Bernal's serious injury.
Eight players for three places in midfield
These four players, together with Marc Casadó, Pedri, Pablo Torre and even Eric García, who has played as a midfielder this season, will share three positions, the two central midfielders and the attacking midfielder. A 'fight' that Raphinha could join, who has put in good performances behind the '9' in Flick's 4-2-3-1.
| PLAYER | MATCHES | MINUTES |
|---|---|---|
| Pedri | 11 partidos | 735' |
| Marc Casadó | 9 partidos | 652' |
| Eric García | 9 partidos | 448' |
| Marc Bernal | 3 partidos | 244' |
| Pablo Torre | 5 partidos | 195' |
| Dani Olmo | 3 partidos | 189' |
| Fermín López | 3 partidos | 57' |
| Frenkie de Jong | 2 partidos | 24' |
To date, the Barça coach has used five pairings in the double pivot, with Casadó and Pedri being the most common, although with the return of Frenkie de Jong this could change again. Meanwhile, as playmaker he has mainly used Raphinha and Pablo Torre. However, the return of Dani Olmo, which would take place against Sevilla, would give him a place that he had more than earned.
