After having caused a lot of problems for Hansi Flick in the defense and midfield areas, the problem of injuries has now affected the forward line of FC Barcelona.
As things stand, two of the three Blaugrana starting forwards, Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal, are facing physical problems.
The latter was unable to participate in the match against Real Sociedad because of his ankle injury while Lewandowski is also facing back problems. Thus, there is a chance that neither of them will be able to start the upcoming game against Celta Vigo.
Similarly, Ansu Fati is also out for another month, while Ferran Torres is only nearing a return from his injury, and his reintroduction to the pitch should ideally be done in a gradual manner. In such a context, Raphinha and Pau Victor remain the only forward options for Flick.
This is going to be another difficult occasion for Flick, as the Balaidos, where the match is set to be played, has been a fortress for Claudio Giraldez’s team.
According to SPORT, to fill in his attacking positions, one of the options that the German tactician is considering is playing the fullback Alejandro Balde in a forward position.
The La Masia graduate has already played as a winger at some points in his career, and there is no doubt that he has the skill set to perform well in a more advanced role.
Thus, if Yamal and Lewandowski are unable to start against Celta, Flick can field Balde on the left wing, Pau Victor in the center, and Raphinha on the right. In such a case, Gerard Martin will have to start as the left-back.
But Flick will also have some other options in his Barcelona squad to fill in for this left-wing position. One such option will be Dani Olmo, who has also played on the wing for some part of his career, while Fermin Lopez has also been used as a false winger by the Barcelona coach recently.