As was the case at the start of the season, FC Barcelona also had to contend with several injuries to their important players in the last stretch of the 2024-25 season.
The most important absences were those of the two fullbacks, Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde, while Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres, and Ronald Araujo also suffered from physical problems.
Marc Casado misses the final phase of the season
Another player who missed most of the second half of this season was the midfielder Marc Casado, who played his last match on March 16th, against Atletico Madrid. In this game, he suffered a partial tear of the external lateral ligament of the right knee after getting tackled by Antoine Griezmann.
The Spaniard spent the last few months recovering from this injury and got the medical green light for the last El Clásico of the season. However, Hansi Flick decided not to use him for that game, or for any of the following games, in which he did not even get a single minute.
However, this lack of game time was not because of a lack of confidence in the player. On the contrary, Flick wants Casado to be fully ready for the upcoming preseason, and did not want to take any risks with him.
BARCELONA, SPAIN - AUGUST 12: Marc Casado of FC Barcelona looks on during the Joan Gamper Trophy match between FC Barcelona and AS Monaco at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on August 12, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.
Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado. [Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images]
Barcelona want a new contract for the midfielder
In fact, the confidence of Flick and the club at large in the midfielder is clear from a report from SPORT, which claims that Barcelona have already started working on a new contract for Casado, which will keep him at the Blaugrana club till 2030.
It has been less than a year since the two parties signed their last contract to keep the Spaniard at the Catalan side till 2028. Now, Barcelona wants to add two more years to this contract, and negotiations have already begun.
There is good harmony between the two parties, and Marc Casado is actually delighted with the new proposal from the club. The Blaugranes want to conclude the signing of this new contract before the start of the next preseason, but it would not be a surprise if this new contract is signed in the coming few days.