Competition for places in the starting eleven is a constant race at Barcelona, and understandably so. As one of the biggest and most demanding clubs in Europe, La Blaugrana always need to expect the most out of their players. However, even then, some players struggle more than others at Barcelona in terms of finding their own footing.
Forwards, midfielders, and even defenders can often struggle to find game time, but goalkeepers find it even more difficult to stand out or find opportunities. Such an issue has come up for Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who is yet to make his official first team debut.
Moreover, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick continues to say that he already trusts Inaki Pena to keep starting for the team in the upcoming games as well. So far, the Spaniard has not exactly given any kind of a reason to the German coach to bench him this season.
However, as highlighted by SPORT, perhaps Szczesny could end up having better luck when it comes to the Copa del Ray or the Spanish Super Cup. Typically, second-choice Barcelona goalkeepers have traditionally found more opportunities in those competitions as compared to La Liga or the UEFA Champions League.
For that, however, the Pole may have to wait a little longer. That is because both competitions will kick off for Barcelona in January of next year, and it looks rather unlikely that the German coach will swap out Inaki Pena for Szczesny before then if he continues to perform well.
As for Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, his return to the pitch is still on a rather long road ahead. While he continues his recovery, the German goalkeeper will undoubtedly be frustrated to have suffered the long-term injury that he did against Villarreal this season.
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Athletic Bilbao's Spanish forward #10 Nico Williams (L) and Barcelona's Spanish forward #19 Lamine Yamal talk together during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club Bilbao at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on August 24, 2024.
COLOGNE, GERMANY - JUNE 30: Nico Williams of Spain celebrates scoring his team's third goal with teammate Lamine Yamal during the UEFA EURO 2024 round of 16 match between Spain and Georgia at Cologne Stadium on June 30, 2024 in Cologne, Germany.
GIRONA, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 15: Lamine Yamal of Barcelona FC looks on during the LaLiga match between Girona FC and FC Barcelona at Montilivi Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Girona, Spain.
To ensure that his absence does not hurt the club, Szczesny was the player that Barcelona ended up signing. However, a lack of opportunities has resulted in the player not being able to showcase what exactly he brings to the table while Pena continues to improve his standing.