Barcelona’s German coach, Hans Flick, and his assistant coaching staff are considering postponing the return of Spanish goalkeeper Juan Garcia to the field until after the international break in November.
In recent days, positive news has reached the Barca coaching staff about the return of the former Espanyol goalkeeper to training, after a month-long absence due to injury.
“Garcia” underwent surgery on his left knee, which kept him out of Barcelona’s matches in October, including the El Clasico against Real Madrid, which ended in a 2-1 victory for the latter.
The Catalan newspaper “Mundo Deportivo” revealed that “Garcia” will not participate in the next two matches against Elche in the Spanish League on Sunday, and against Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The newspaper added: “In all likelihood, Garcia will be ready to participate against Celta Vigo on November 8th.”
But the Spanish newspaper clarified that this depends on a decision by the doctors in consultation with Flick, and his return may be postponed until after the next international break if necessary.
If this decision is made, the Barcelona goalkeeper may return to the field in the match against Athletic Bilbao on November 22, which is likely to be held at the “Spotify Camp Nou” stadium, just 3 days before facing Chelsea in the Champions League.
Juan Garcia Steals the Show
Since joining Barcelona in the summer of 2025 for 25 million euros, the value of the release clause in his contract with his former club, the Spanish goalkeeper “Juan Garcia” has been able to impose himself in the Barca squad, becoming the team’s main goalkeeper at the expense of the veteran Polish Wojciech Szczesny, who put on an exceptional performance last season.
The arrival of “Garcia” from Espanyol was initially seen as just an investment for the future, but the young goalkeeper (24 years old) only took a few weeks to prove that his place in the starting lineup was no coincidence, thanks to his quick reflexes, ideal positioning, and high confidence in playing with his feet, making him the first choice for coach Hans Flick.
“Garcia” has delivered excellent performances since the beginning of the season, and has managed to keep a clean sheet in almost half of the matches he has played, while conceding 5 goals in 7 matches.
What made Flick trust him more is his ability to build play from the back, which is a fundamental element of Barcelona’s modern philosophy, as he is good at accurate passing under pressure and gives the defense comfort in getting the ball out.
As for Szczesny, who has a long experience at Juventus and Arsenal, he suddenly found himself on the bench since the arrival of “Garcia”, before guarding Barcelona’s goal in the last month after the Spanish goalkeeper’s injury.
But it is noted that in the absence of “Garcia”, Szczesny was unable to keep a clean sheet in any match, despite participating in 6 matches so far, during which he conceded 11 goals, which reflects the extent to which the Blaugrana are affected by the injury of the former Espanyol goalkeeper.
Influential Injuries in the Ranks of Barca
It is no secret that Barcelona has become exposed to more dangerous opportunities this season compared to the past, because the bold attacking approach that Flick has relied on since his arrival at Barcelona carries some risk, but in the past it gave the team greater gains than it loses.
The German coach Hans Flick has been working for weeks to address this imbalance without abandoning his tactical principles, but the system has not yet regained its full effectiveness.
In addition, the injuries have complicated the situation of the Catalan team, as Barcelona entered the last El Clasico against Real Madrid with influential absences, much more than its opponent, which limited Flick’s tactical options.
Looking at the bench at the Bernabeu, the stronghold of the Merengue that witnessed the last El Clasico, most of the players had limited minutes in the first division, which made the coach lack alternative solutions. Therefore, the return of the injured and the restoration of depth in the squad is a fundamental pillar of the recovery plan.
The Missing Link in the Blaugrana Attack
The list of influential absentees in Barcelona did not stop at the defense, as the team lost the efforts of “Juan Garcia”, “Lewandowski”, “Dani Olmo”, and “Raphinha”, that is, two of the three main attacking trio, in addition to the young goalkeeper who was one of the most important bets of the summer.
“Olmo”, who is considered one of the keys to Barcelona’s play under the leadership of Hans Flick last season, was also absent due to his physical instability, so these absences weakened Barcelona, but they cannot be a justification for the decline in performance, as the available elements are able to provide enjoyable football that suits the team’s identity.
