Hansi Flick's alternatives to cover the possible loss of Cubarsi in Anoeta

Pau Cubarsí may miss FC Barcelona's visit to Real Sociedad this Sunday (8:00 p.m.) due to the stitches he received after being kicked in the face in Belgrade. The strong blow required 10 points which, beyond Hansi Flick's initial opinion, may lead the coaching staff to rule out the center back in Anoeta.

In the post-match press conference in Belgrade, the Barça coach ruled out a major problem after the spectacular injury to the defender's face. "They've given him some stitches, but he's young," said the man from Heidelberg. However, the '2' reappeared at the Ciutat Esportiva with notable swelling on the right side of his face.

Although he hopes to receive the 'ok' from the coaching staff and doctors to play with a protective mask, everything will depend on how he looks in Saturday's session, the last before the trip to San Sebastián. Luis de la Fuente himself assured this Friday that he preferred to leave him out of the Spanish squad to give him enough room for recovery, since Pau suffered a deep injury.

Sergi Domínguez, the most sensible option to replace Cubarsí

If he does not have Cubarsí, it is likely that Flick will opt for Sergi Domínguez to accompany Iñigo Martínez in the center of the defense. The 19-year-old defender started in the matches against Villarreal and Osasuna (his last appearance in the League).

On Wednesday, '36' came on in the 67th minute against Red Star, just after the criminal kick that sent Pau to the infirmary. In total, Sergi has accumulated 206 minutes of action this season in 5 games (3 in the League and 2 in the Champions League).

Hansi Flick's emergency plan b against Real Sociedad

The other alternative for the German coach seems, at the moment, much less feasible. The coach could bet on returning Jules Koundé to the center of the defense. This move would bring Héctor Fort back to the XI, who was in the game against Espanyol due to a disciplinary issue.

However, the great level that the Frenchman has been showing on the right wing, together with the time he has not played as a center back, almost completely rule out this adjustment. Koundé has not taken the field as a central marker in a Barça match since January 4 of this year, at Las Palmas (Barça victory 1-2).

Thus, only an emergency scenario would lead Jules to form a practically unprecedented duo with Iñigo Martínez. Barça, however, do not have any more centre-backs left on the bench, since Eric García will not return until after the break (Ronald Araújo is also expected at the end of November).