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It may take injuries alone to slow Barcelona down this season, given the historic form they've shown in defending their La Liga crown.
Hansi Flick's squad has claimed consecutive domestic championships and has its sights set on Champions League success — a trophy that will have eluded them for 12 years by the time next June's final arrives.
Barça have kicked off 2026–27 with a perfect six-from-six record in La Liga, netting an extraordinary 28 goals along the way. That devastating form carried over into Europe as well, with a commanding 5–1 victory over Dutch side Feyenoord to open their league phase campaign.
They can outscore virtually any opponent, yet their aggressive style leaves them susceptible to conceding quality chances — particularly as fatigue accumulates. A sharp, proactive goalkeeper is therefore essential to Flick's system, and they have exactly that in Joan García.
García, who arrived from Espanyol in 2025, topped La Liga last season with a 77.9 save percentage and 10.2 goals prevented, underscoring his exceptional shot-stopping ability. He's a player Barcelona simply cannot do without, which is why alarm bells rang when he was substituted at the break during Wednesday's 7–2 demolition of Racing Santander.
Why García's Absence Is No Disaster for Barcelona
García has had a somewhat quieter opening to this campaign compared to his first, with his saves per 90 minutes dipping from 2.5 to 2.0. His early exit during the week didn't trigger any dramatic Catalan meltdown, but Barça will be eager to have their first-choice goalkeeper back as soon as possible.
Barcelona confirmed after the match that García was "experiencing mild discomfort in his right knee," and AS has since reported that the 25-year-old suffered a "bone edema" that is expected to keep him out for approximately three weeks.
That prognosis is encouraging for Barça, who should only be without their No. 1 for Saturday's away fixture against fourth-placed Sevilla. An extended international break follows, with Flick's side not returning to action until October 10, when they welcome Getafe in La Liga.
Club medical staff are also relieved that the Spaniard has not suffered a recurrence of trouble with his left knee, which required surgery a year ago and caused him to miss nine matches.
Hansi Flick's Goalkeeper Dilemma for Sevilla Clash
With García unavailable, Flick faces a significant decision between the sticks on Saturday. This could be Barcelona's sternest test of the campaign so far, given Sevilla's impressive early-season form and the history between the two sides at the Pizjuán.
The German coach now has Croatia's first-choice keeper Dominik Livaković available after the club brought him in from Fenerbahçe for $2.3 million this summer, but he turned to veteran Wojciech Szczęsny following García's midweek injury.
The Polish goalkeeper made an error after coming on, which led to Racing's second goal, yet Barça's boss appears inclined to trust his experience over Livaković, who is still described as "adapting" to the setup.
"I think that, right now, the situation with Tek [Szczęsny] is that he knows what our philosophy is," Flick said, "and Dominik [Livaković] has just played; he's adapting to our approach. And that's the issue.
"He can play; he's ready to play and that's what we have to consider. But we always look out for what's best for the team, not for one player."