UDINE, ITALY - AUGUST 08: Brian Farinas of Barcellona reacts after a missed scoring chance during the Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup match between Nottingham Forest and Barcelona at Bluenergy Stadium on August 08, 2026 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick is considering turning towards one of the lesser-seen members of his squad, to cover for the personnel crisis in his defensive ranks at present.
Barca were of course dealt a fresh blow on the injury front this past weekend.
En route to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid, the Blaugrana saw their woes compounded by Xavi Espart picking up a significant ankle injury.
Espart, set to spend the next two months on the treatment table, joins all of Andreas Christensen, Eric García and Jules Koundé on the absentee list in Catalunya’s capital at present.
And as alluded to above, in a bid to avoid worsening the situation over the weeks ahead, Hansi Flick is considering turning towards a surprise source.
As per a report from Mundo Deportivo, after testing the 20-year-old at right-back in pre-season, midfielder Brian Fariñas could slot into a full-back role to act as cover for Barcelona in the buildup to the November international break.
Conor Laird – GSFN