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Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has had his preparations for the midweek Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain thrown into disarray following injuries to Eric García and Jules Koundé.
García has been the first-choice right back for much of the campaign, with Koundé stepping in for the last two La Liga fixtures as García moved back into central defense, but Flick now finds himself without both players for the away trip to the reigning European champions.
Barcelona placed a recovery window of up to four weeks on García after he was diagnosed with a thigh injury. An ankle sprain means Koundé is expected back sooner, though he will be absent for Tuesday's fixture, and his availability for next weekend's Clásico against Real Madrid remains uncertain.
"Football throws these situations at you, and now I have to stop for a few days, right when the games come that we all want to be part of," García wrote on social media. "It makes me angry and sad that I won't be there, but I'll give everything to return as quickly as I can."
Flick has little time to dwell on his misfortune and must now piece together a defensive unit capable of containing a PSG side that possesses one of the most lethal attacking lineups in the game.
How Barcelona Can Cope Without García, Koundé Against PSG
With Andreas Christensen also ruled out through injury, Flick is left with limited options at the back.
The most urgent concern is at right back, where García and Koundé have logged the bulk of their minutes. Summer arrival João Cancelo could slot in there, as could 19-year-old Xavi Espart, who is a natural right back but has spent the whole season deployed on the left flank instead.
Both Cancelo and Espart are comfortable on either side, and whichever one does not start on the right is likely to feature on the left, with Alejandro Balde, the squad's only natural left back, currently out of favor.
The absence of García also creates a problem in central defense. Pau Cubarsí remains an automatic starter, but Flick must now determine who lines up beside him. Gerard Martín, Cubarsí's regular partner, hobbled off at the weekend with an ankle problem.
Martín has traveled with the squad and is set to undergo a late fitness assessment to establish whether he is fit to start, should be named among the substitutes, or will be left out entirely.
If Martín is unable to start, the situation becomes considerably more complex. Eighteen-year-old Álex Campos has been called up from Barça Atlètic and could be thrust straight into action as one of just six defenders in the traveling party.
Flick has previously entertained the notion of deploying midfielder Frenkie de Jong at center back in an emergency scenario like this. The Dutchman did feature in defense during his formative years at Ajax but has played almost exclusively in midfield since joining Barcelona in 2019.