Barcelona’s recent defeat to Las Palmas was another indicator of the ongoing issues the club must resolve quickly if they are to strengthen their position as title favourites.
The Catalans have dropped points in three consecutive league matches now and part of it could be due to their struggle in re-integrating their returning stars to the core setup.
The likes of Fermin Lopez, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong have indeed found it difficult to replace to core of Marc Casado, Pedri and Dani Olmo.
Among these key core players, Olmo, in particular, has played the least number of minutes this season.
Barcelona’s stat with Olmo on the pitch
With five goals in seven league matches, Olmo has clearly been a key differentiator for Barcelona in the final third.
Barcelona will be counting on Olmo’s return this midweek (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Olmo’s effectiveness has been backed by Barcelona’s record as well, with the team yet to lose whenever the midfielder has been on the pitch.
Indeed, Olmo was absent in Barça’s defeats to AS Monaco, Osasuna and Las Palmas, where he had to sit out on the bench due to discomfort.
One could make the case that Olmo was present against Real Sociedad. However, when he appeared on the pitch in the second half, Barcelona were already losing 1-0.
Will Olmo be available against Mallorca?
Given Barcelona’s poor record without Olmo, Hansi Flick will be counting on the Spaniard to start in the upcoming league clash against Mallorca.
However, the former RB Leipzig starlet has reportedly trained separately from the team, just two days before the clash.
This could spark question marks on whether or not Olmo will be fit in time to start against Mallorca. For now, the Spaniard remains a doubt for this midweek’s clash.