Barcelona return to La Liga on Saturday, November 22, in a challenging match against Athletic Bilbao. It is always a difficult match due to the strength of the opponent, but the situation is made even more complicated by the absences in the Blaugrana squad.
Hansi Flick will have goalkeeper Joan Garcia and striker Raphinha back in the squad, barring any last-minute setbacks, but the Barcelona coach faces a serious problem in midfield.
For the first time since taking charge of Barca, he will be without his three best midfielders: Pedrin, Frenkie De Jong and Gavin.
The latter's absence is not entirely unexpected, as he has been out for several months following meniscus surgery, and is still several months away from returning, with expectations set to be between January and February of next year.
However, the absences of the other two are temporary, albeit more serious, as they form the starting duo in Flick's lineup.
De Jong's sanction
The Dutchman will be unavailable after being sent off in the last match against Celta Vigo. The one-match suspension was confirmed by the Competition Committee on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Pedri will also be unavailable as he has not yet recovered from his injury. The player from the Canary Islands is improving significantly, but will not be ready in time for the match against Bilbao.
Therefore, Flick has no choice but to improvise in midfield.
Casado aims to be a starter
Marc Casado seems to have secured his place in the starting lineup. He is the player who has replaced the starting players when it has been necessary to give them a rest.
It is true that he was unable to play against Celta Vigo after feeling discomfort during the warm-up, but he has now fully recovered and everything indicates that he will be a starter against Atletico Bilbao.
Bernal's lack of pace
Flick is considering a few other options. One would be to play Marc Bernal alongside Casado in the double midfield position. It's his natural position, but the problem is that he has barely played this season.
His participation has been minimal - just 32 minutes in all competitions - making it difficult for him to start due to his lack of match fitness.
Eric Garcia and Christensen
From there, Flick will have to look to other positions to fill the gaps. Looking at the defense, he finds that Eric Garcia and Andres Christensen can play in that double position.
It's not an unfamiliar position for them, as they've already played a few minutes there this season. It's likely that one of the two will partner Casado in midfield.
Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez
The other option comes from the attacking positions. Both Fermin and Olmo can play there, although it is far from their natural position.
Olmo has played a few minutes later this season. He is capable, but away from the penalty area he loses some of his goal-scoring effectiveness.
The same goes for Fermin: just look at the number of goals he has scored to understand that the further he is from the opponent's goal, the less danger he poses.
System adjustment
Flick could also modify the system and play with a defensive midfielder and two advanced midfielders.
This would allow Fermi and Olmo, if they were to play, to contribute in midfield while also staying close to the opposition penalty area.
Raphinha's return will be equally important for the team to maintain its attacking prowess.
/Telegraph/
