THE '24' FELL FROM THE XI IN THE LAST MINUTE
Eric García gave the scare against Sevilla and lost another golden opportunity
Published:21/10/2024 - 02:50h
Updated:21/10/2024 - 05:05h
Eric García stayed in the stands at Montjuïc on Sunday against Sevilla (5-1). The Catalan could not enter the XI due to a physical discomfort and lost another great opportunity as a pivot
FC Barcelona beat Sevilla on Sunday (5-1) on a night of partying in Montjuïc due to the 'little hand' and the returns of Gavi, Fermín López and Dani Olmo. However, in the previous round, Eric García gave a scare due to a physical discomfort that separated him from the XI.
The '24' jumped onto the field with his teammates, but felt a puncture in the previous warm-up and returned to the locker room. Finally, Hansi Flick preferred to put Ansu Fati in his place, delaying Pedri González to give a hand to Marc Casadó in the recovery.
For Eric, the day ended up being bitter, as he lost another golden opportunity to continue gaining ground in the Barça midfield. The defender watched the game alongside Ferran Torres in the box, one of the five culés still in the infirmary.
Hansi Flick, calm about the condition of Eric García
In the post-match press conference, the German coach made it clear that, for now, the Catalan defender has nothing serious. "I think that the discomfort he has is not serious and that, with luck, it will be an option for Wednesday," explained the man from Heidelberg.
For Flick, Eric has been an important piece in both the League and the Champions League. The '24' was going to be in the XI against Seville, which would have made him five consecutive league games as a starter. However, he fell at the last minute as a precaution.
Eric García, with lights and shadows in 24/25
Previously, in the Champions League, the defender converted into a pivot was in the lineup against Monaco, a match where he only played 10 minutes after seeing a straight red card. For this reason he was not included in the squad against Young Boys and, with luck, he will be available on Wednesday against Bayern Munich.
As it is, García is suffering some bad fortune in 2024/25, but he continues to fight for a place in a squad that, with the returns of Gavi, Fermín López and Dani Olmo, looks much more competitive to face a calendar that does not gives truce
In that sense, rumors about a possible return of Eric to Girona continue to sound, but neither the club nor the player will make hasty decisions. In January, there will be time to evaluate the best option for both parties.
