Barcelona’s long-awaited return to the Spotify Camp Nou arrives with enormous excitement, but also with a significant tactical challenge for Hansi Flick, particularly in the centre of the pitch.
Their first home match back at the renovated stadium comes against a demanding Athletic Club side, and Flick has been handed several complications that will directly impact his midfield options.
Frenkie de Jong will not be available after picking up two yellow cards in the clash with Celta Vigo, forcing him to serve his suspension tomorrow.
To add to that, Pedri is still not fit enough to feature, leaving Flick with a familiar dilemma.
It is a situation the German coach has already experienced before, almost identical, in fact, to the one he faced during his early days at the club.
A familiar problem for Flick
Last season, Flick was also unable to count on either Pedri or De Jong due to injuries.
With the senior midfielders missing, he turned to La Masia and trusted his young academy graduates.
In matches against Valencia and Athletic Club, Flick fielded a pairing of Marc Casado and Marc Bernal.
Pedri and De Jong will be unavailable for Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
The decision paid off handsomely, with Barcelona winning both encounters thanks to the energy and discipline of the youthful duo.
The scenario repeated itself against AS Monaco, but with a slight variation. Pedri was deployed further forward in that game, prompting Flick to rely on Eric García and Casado as his double pivot.
In the following match against Getafe, yet another game without De Jong and Pedri, the same combination was used, and Barcelona once again emerged with a victory.
Same situation, different times
Now, as Flick prepares for Athletic Club’s visit, the midfield remains his biggest headache.
Casado, who was originally expected to start against Celta Vigo, was ruled out at the last moment due to a minor injury.
He has now recovered, making him a strong candidate to feature tomorrow, likely alongside Fermin Lopez.
Meanwhile, Bernal is also available after featuring for the Catalan national team in their friendly against Palestine, offering Flick another much-needed option.
However, it remains to be seen in what capacity the manager will use his services.