Flick set to recover five Barcelona players over the month of January | OneFootball

FC Barcelona continue to weigh up the option of entering the winter transfer market in search of a replacement for Andreas Christensen.

The Dane’s injury allows the club to bring in a reinforcement using his salary slot without the need to comply with Financial Fair Play restrictions.

Deco and Hansi Flick have doubts because they are not convinced by the options in the market, and they believe that the current squad is sufficient to get through to the end of the season.

As such, they are taking their time and will assess how the team performs in the first matches of the year.

Five ‘signings’ in January

However, Flick will have a series of important “signings” thanks to the recovery of several players who are key to the team, reports MARCA.

Indeed, the Barcelona coach will recover up to five key players over the course of the month.

One of them is Ronald Araujo. The Uruguayan has returned to training with the group and there is hope that he could play in the derby against Espanyol or, failing that, in the Spanish Super Cup.

The defender has left behind the mental issues that forced him to stop at the end of November, after the match against Chelsea. His return is vital for the coach following Christensen’s recent injury.

Araujo and Kounde are fully fit again. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Three other players are expected to be at the manager’s disposal imminently as well: Pedri, Jules Kounde and Dani Olmo.

Pedri was unable to play in the match against Villarreal due to discomfort. It was not a serious issue, but with him, there is always great caution due to his importance to the team and because he had already suffered an injury this season.

The midfielder is training with the group and, barring any surprise, will be available against Espanyol.

The same applies to Kounde, who finished the match against Villarreal with some discomfort. It was not serious, something the player himself confirmed, and he is also expected to be available against Espanyol.

The return of Olmo for the derby is less certain. The playmaker suffered a shoulder dislocation against Atletico Madrid. His recovery is progressing well, but he is racing against time to be fit to face Espanyol. He is expected to be ready for the Super Cup.

At last, the other major addition for Flick will be Gavi. The midfielder suffered a serious injury and required surgery on his meniscus last September. He is now in the final phase of his recovery, although his return will not be immediate.

It is expected that he will resume training with the team during January and return to competition in February. Everyone is being very cautious with his comeback, following the problems he experienced with his previous injury.