Barcelona’s injury crisis could create more opportunities for La Masia

Barcelona’s injury crisis could create more opportunities for La Masia FC Barcelona have been hit hard with injuries to key players in recent weeks, complicating matters for Hansi Flick. A week ago, the Catalans lost their primary right-back options Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde to injuries in the Real Betis encounter, affecting the team’s balance in the game against Paris Saint-Germain. In Paris, Dani Olmo suffered an injury that will keep him out for a prolonged period, and during Sunday’s El Clasico defeat to Real Madrid, Xavi Espart became the latest victim. The injury situation, particularly in defence, presents a huge challenge for the team. With several senior players unavailable, Flick is preparing to rely more heavily on La Masia as Barcelona navigate their upcoming matches, reports SPORT . Flick believes team preparation not at fault As already reported , Flick has decided to give the entire squad two days off to disconnect and rest after back-to-back losses. Flick to turn to La Masia for solutions. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) However, restoring the team’s energy, both physically and mentally, is only one part of Flick’s challenge. Barcelona’s injury problems, particularly in the backline, continue to restrict his selection options. The manager believes many of the recent setbacks have resulted from physical contact during matches rather than shortcomings in the team’s preparation. The latest example is Espart, who suffered an ankle injury during El Clasico , after a challenge from Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, ruling him out for close to two months. Greater opportunities for La Masia The injury situation has made reinforcements from the academy increasingly important as far as Flick is concerned. Alex Campos has been called up for two games in a row. (Picture credit: Instagram/@aleexcampos_) The Barcelona manager has already turned to young players to cover the gaps. Centre-back Alex Campos has been called up to the squad for both games against PSG and Real Madrid, while midfielder Orien Goren was included to cover for Olmo’s absence. Further opportunities for academy prospects could follow as Barcelona attempt to navigate their next fixtures with a depleted squad. The Blaugrana head coach has already acknowledged that there are limited alternatives in defence and that promoting youth players may be unavoidable. With defensive injuries limiting his choices, Flick will need both smarter workload management and contributions from La Masia .