Barcelona’s defensive instability exposes growing problem for Hansi Flick

Barcelona’s defensive instability exposes growing problem for Hansi Flick Barcelona’s defensive problems have become a major headache for Hansi Flick, who has already used ten different backline combinations in the club’s opening 13 competitive matches. Injuries have prevented the German coach from establishing a settled defensive unit, and Saturday’s La Liga encounter against Alaves is set to bring another reshuffle, potentially taking that tally to 11 different combinations in 14 games. Barcelona’s defensive line-ups highlight Flick’s growing injury concerns Barcelona’s defensive instability has been particularly striking, with injuries repeatedly forcing Flick to change his selection. Of the ten backline combinations used so far, only two have featured more than once. The most frequently selected defence consisted of Eric Garcia, Gerard Martin, Pau Cubarsi and Xavi Espart. The quartet played together in three matches against Athletic Club, Valencia and Levante, making it the closest thing Barcelona have had to a regular defensive unit this season. Flick’s second-most-used combination featured Espart, Cubarsi, Martin and Joao Cancelo. The German coach deployed that back four twice, in the matches against PSG and Real Madrid. Eric Garcia has been unavailable for the last two games. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) The remaining eight combinations were each used just once. That reflects the difficulty Flick has faced in maintaining continuity at the back, with the availability of defenders repeatedly dictating his selection rather than allowing him to build a consistent unit. The problem is set to continue against Alaves. Jules Kounde has yet to return to group training, while Espart, Andreas Christensen and Eric Garcia remain sidelined with injuries. Flick must therefore find another solution for a defence that has already undergone considerable disruption. Balde and Cancelo could feature in another reshuffle One possible solution would involve Alejandro Balde, who has yet to start a match this season. Flick could turn to the left-back to fill a vacancy in the defensive line , although he could also look to Barcelona’s academy for an alternative. Cancelo could then move across to right-back, allowing Flick to reorganise the remaining positions around the available players. Any such adjustment would produce Barcelona’s 11th different defensive combination in their first 14 competitive matches. Balde to get a rare starting chance. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) The potential changes underline the scale of the challenge facing Flick. With Kounde not yet back in full training and three other defenders unavailable, the coach has limited scope to preserve continuity. Defence remains Barcelona’s biggest selection headache While Flick has also rotated players in midfield, he has generally been able to call upon Rodri and Pedri for the biggest matches. Lamine Yamal and Anthony Gordon have remained the main options on the wings, with injuries causing fewer disruptions in those positions. The attacking midfield role has also seen competition between Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez. However, Olmo’s injury has opened the door for Fermin to take on a more prominent role. At centre-forward, Raphinha has been the main option. His injury did force Flick to restructure the team, but the disruption was limited to a couple of matches. The defensive situation has been far more persistent, with the coach unable to establish a settled backline. Source: MARCA