The injuries of Iñigo and Casadó open the door for Eric García at Barça

The injuries of Iñigo Martínez and Marc Casadó open the door for Hansi Flick's XI, once again, for Eric García. The coach avoided the return of the Martorell native to Girona in January, anticipating a similar scenario that FC Barcelona will face after the first international break of 2025. With Iñigo out for about three weeks and Casadó practically ruled out for the rest of the season, the figure of '24' will be key for the coach's rotation plan.

So far, Eric has accumulated 1,155 minutes of action in 28 appearances this season, 10 of which as a starter. The defender is the thirteenth player on the team in terms of minutes played, although Flick has counted on him as a substitute in defense and in midfield, the latter position occupied less frequently due to the absences of Marc Bernal and Frenkie de Jong in the early stages of the season.

In this sense, Casadó's absence will allow him to alternate his natural position (center-back) with that of pivot, giving Frenkie de Jong a breather as the team's '5'. The Dutchman was unable to play against Atlético Madrid (2-4) due to gastroenteritis, but traveled with his national team for the match against the Netherlands, corresponding to the quarter-finals of the Nations League. Looking ahead to the final stretch of 24-25, the player from Arkel seemed to have won the battle against Marc, and now it would be García who covers his back.

Eric García aims for the controversial match against Osasuna

In the immediate future, Eric would have everything to return to Barça's XI in the postponed match against Osasuna, initially rescheduled for next Thursday the 27th. Both Barça fans and 'rojillos' protested the date assigned by LaLiga, as it is a matchday when most internationals will just be returning to their clubs. If the league refuses to change the date of the match, it is very likely that the Martorell native will accompany Pau Cubarsí in the center of defense.

And it is that Ronald Araujo, along with Raphinha, will be the last to return from the break, as the South American qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup plays its 14th round on Tuesday night (early Wednesday morning in Spain). The center-back will face Bolivia a little earlier (at 22:00 on Tuesday), while Rafa will play against Argentina starting at 2:00 AM (Spanish time). Thus, '24' would have the stage set for his first big opportunity in the final stretch of 24-25. In La Liga, his last start was against Las Palmas, in matchday 25.