Flick's midfield revolution: How Barça plan to cope without Pedri and De Jong
With both pivots sidelined for the crucial Champions League clash against Copenhagen, Hansi Flick faces a selection headache that could reshape Barcelona's engine room.
Barcelona face a midfield crisis just when they need stability the most. The Catalan giants must beat Copenhagen convincingly at Camp Nou next Wednesday to secure direct qualification to the Champions League Round of 16.
Midfield emergency
Flick’s problems stem from a double absence in his preferred pivot positions:
- Pedri is completely ruled out after picking up an injury against Slavia Prague
- Frenkie de Jong is suspended after collecting his third yellow card in the competition
These absences leave a gaping hole in Barcelona’s engine room just when they need to deliver a commanding performance. The German gaffer needs to cook up something special to keep the midfield ticking.
Eric García: The likely solution
All signs point to Eric García stepping into the midfield role. While he’s been deployed as a centre-back recently, his previous performances in midfield were proper Bobby Dazzlers. The Spanish utility man has shown he can handle the responsibility when called upon.
The real head-scratcher is who’ll partner him in the middle of the park.
Academy options: Casadó vs Bernal
The natural replacements from La Masia present Flick with an interesting dilemma:
- Marc Casadó - Once a regular stand-in last season, he’s fallen down the pecking order
- Marc Bernal - Gaining more minutes and growing in confidence, with Flick reportedly keen to show faith in him amid transfer rumours
It’s a proper chalk and cheese situation between the two youngsters, with Bernal seemingly having the edge in Flick’s thinking.
The attacking alternative
The other option brewing in Flick’s mind involves a tactical tweak that could see both Dani Olmo and Fermín López starting together. Both players are in blinding form, and this crisis might be the perfect opportunity to unleash them as dual interiors with Eric García as the lone pivot.
This more attack-minded approach would represent a significant shift from Flick’s usual setup, but desperate times call for creative solutions. And with the form Olmo and Fermín are showing, it might just be worth a punt.