Five midfield combinations Hansi Flick has tested previously without Frenkie De Jong | OneFootball

Injuries have been a recurring problem for Hansi Flick’s FC Barcelona this season, and although they got important players like Raphinha and Pedri back available recently, they have now seen another important piece getting sidelined with a significant injury, i.e., Frenkie de Jong.

The Dutch midfielder will be sidelined for the next five to six weeks after suffering a distal biceps injury in his right leg. His absence comes at a decisive phase of the campaign and forces Flick to once again reshape his midfield plans.

Frenkie De Jong has featured in 31 of the 39 matches Barcelona have played this season in all competitions, missing 8 in total. Across those 31 appearances, he started 26 games and made five appearances off the bench, while being an unused substitute only once. This means the coaching staff is already familiar with finding alternative solutions in his absence.

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According to Mundo Deportivo, Flick has previously relied on five different midfield solutions when De Jong was unavailable, offering a clear roadmap of the options now on the table.

The most frequently used formula has been a double pivot of Marc Casado and Pedri. This pairing was deployed in five matches across La Liga and the Champions League earlier in the season.

On other occasions, Flick paired Pedri with Eric Garcia, although the former Manchester City player has now taken on a more regular role in defence. In one instance, when both Pedri and De Jong were unavailable, Flick adopted a more attack-oriented approach, deploying Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez ahead of Garcia.

Marc Casado and Marc Bernal were also used as a midfield duo in the games against Alaves and Racing Santander, with Pedri introduced from the bench in both matches.

Most recently, Flick experimented with Casado as the pivot, supported by Olmo and Fermin, in the clash against Mallorca when Pedri was absent, and De Jong started on the bench.

With the Dutchman sidelined once more, it remains to be seen which of these setups Flick will turn to in the coming matches, or whether he will take the opportunity to try an even more innovative midfield combination.