Barcelona defender will be available to face Real Betis after minor knock vs Galatasaray

Barcelona defender will be available to face Real Betis after minor knock vs Galatasaray FC Barcelona extended their brilliant start to the 2026/27 season, making it ten wins in ten games after they beat Galatasaray 4-1 in the UEFA Champions League last night. The Blaugrana have been in unstoppable form since the start of the campaign and once again emerged triumphant, even though the performance raised some questions on the defensive side of things. One of the players who endured a mixed outing on Tuesday night was Eric Garcia , as he had to battle against one of Galatasaray’s most dangerous players, Rafael Leao. The Portuguese winger, who joined the Turkish club from AC Milan this summer, gave the Barcelona defender a difficult start to the game, using his pace to get past Eric time and again, even setting up the home team’s opening goal. However, the Spanish international gradually recovered, tightened up defensively and managed to limit the Portuguese winger’s threat as the match progressed.  A ‘gift’ from Leao to Eric Eric Garcia had his hands full dealing with Rafael Leao. (Photo by Burak Kara/Getty Images) Despite recovering from his difficult start, Garcia paid a physical price for one of his battles with Leao. As reported by Mundo Deportivo , the Barcelona defender finished the match with a knock and swelling just below his right knee, sustained during a duel with the Portuguese international. Speaking in the mixed zone after the game, Garcia joked about the injury when asked about the incident.  “It is a little gift I am taking home from Turkiye,” he said with a laugh.  “It is a knock from a challenge involving Leao,” the Barcelona defender added. Garcia expected to be available for Betis clash After the match, Garcia was seen icing the affected area. However, there is no reason for concern for Barcelona as his knock is nothing major. As such, unless manager Hansi Flick decides to rest him with next Tuesday’s crucial Champions League meeting against PSG Princes in mind, the versatile defender is expected to be available for Barcelona’s match against Real Betis on Saturday.  The Catalans are scheduled to face Betis at Estadio de La Cartuja in La Liga later this week, aiming to register their ninth win in the competition. Garcia’s own comments suggest that the injury is not expected to prevent him from featuring against Manuel Pellegrini’s side, although Flick will ultimately decide whether to include him.