This season was expected to be a difficult one for Barcelona given the complications surrounding it. With a brand new coach coming in and several key players already injured, there was a lot of skepticism. Fortunately, it seems like Barcelona has adapted to Flick’s philosophy well despite having a depleted squad.
Yet, that is arguably the best part about this team. Instead of having reached their ceiling just yet, Barcelona has been able to deliver some of the most exciting football possible with the help of several academy and youth products. In time, once they have their key players fully recovered, Barcelona can only look to get better.
Luckily for them, according to SPORT, Barcelona will not have to wait for much longer to recover two more key players from injury. Both Gavi and Fermin Lopez, two of Barça’s most brilliant midfielders, are expected to return directly after the international break and be available for the game against Sevilla.
Gavi’s return, in particular, has been a long-awaited event given the severity of the injury he suffered last year. Almost a year later, however, he is soon expected to feature for Barcelona again and many expect him to become a vital piece of Hansi Flick’s high-intensity team. However, there is still no rush in his case, and the German coach will have the liberty to decide when to make use of him again.
Beyond just these two, however, even Dani Olmo is expected to rejoin the team after the international break. He continues to work in training with Hansi Flick and the rest of the players who have stayed behind during the international break, and his return is expected to come against Sevilla as well.
Moreover, with Frenkie de Jong already back in the team and gradually getting more minutes, Barcelona can finally have most of their midfield available again after the international break. Other players such as Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Marc Bernal, and Ferran Torres still remain sidelined, but most of them will gradually begin to return at some point this season.
Given the kind of football that Hansi Flick’s team likes to play and considering the hectic football calendar that naturally invites more injuries and fatigue, the more players available at Barcelona the better. Beyond just the depth, however, it would be a great luxury for Flick to have so many talented players available.