The ongoing injury crisis continues to trouble FC Barcelona as Hansi Flick prepares for a crucial UEFA Champions League match against Olympiacos. With several key players unavailable, the German coach faces yet another selection dilemma at a critical point in the season.
Unfortunately for Flick, both Ferran Torres and Raphinha remain sidelined and are expected to miss Tuesday’s European encounter.
The news is particularly disappointing in Ferran’s case since the club had initially described his issue as mere muscle overload rather than a full injury. He was not ruled out for the previous Girona match, yet he will now miss his second consecutive game.
In light of these setbacks, Flick was seen testing an experimental attacking setup in training. According to SPORT, Swedish winger Roony Bardghji lined up alongside Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford during one of the internal practice matches.
It is an interesting combination, as both Bardghji and Yamal are naturally right wingers. Flick appears to be exploring the possibility of using Bardghji on the left flank while Rashford leads the line through the middle.
However, training experiments do not always translate into actual match decisions. Before the Girona clash, Alejandro Balde was tested as a left winger in training but ultimately played in his regular left-back role. This suggests Flick is keeping his tactical options open as he searches for effective solutions to the growing list of absences.
Bardghji’s involvement could give Flick more freedom in midfield, potentially allowing him to field a trio of Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, and Fermin Lopez. The latter remains a versatile choice who could also be deployed further forward if required.
Another possible variation would see Fermin start on the left wing, keeping the same midfield setup used against Espanyol with Casado, Pedri, and De Jong.
Flick also experimented with a system that did not include a traditional attacking midfielder, instead relying on a midfield trio with one holding player and two interiors, with De Jong taking up the most advanced role. This structure might once again be considered depending on the availability of attacking players.
Adding to the team’s concerns, Andreas Christensen was unable to complete Monday’s training session due to indigestion issues and returned home early.
On the positive side, several Barcelona youth players joined the first team in training, including Jofre Torrents, Juan Hernandez, and Xavi Espart. All three featured for Barcelona Atlètic in their recent defeat to Atlètic Lleida and were called up to train with Flick’s side this morning.
With Olympiacos on the horizon and the injury list showing no signs of easing, Flick’s readiness to experiment may prove vital. Deploying Bardghji in new attacking role may turn out to be one of his boldest yet most necessary tactical decisions.