Flick will keep faith in Barcelona veteran star against Sevilla despite costly mistake | OneFootball

FC Barcelona’s goalkeeping situation is under the spotlight ahead of Saturday’s visit to Sevilla.

The minor knee problem suffered by Joan Garcia has opened the door for Wojciech Szczesny to return to the starting XI.

Garcia felt discomfort in his knee after slipping during the recent match against Racing Santander.

Medical tests confirmed that there is no serious injury, but Barça’s priority is to avoid taking any unnecessary risks with their first-choice goalkeeper.

That makes Szczesny the leading candidate to start at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan this weekend, with Hansi Flick continuing to trust the veteran goalkeeper reports SPORT.

Szczesny remains second in the pecking order

There had been some uncertainty over the hierarchy after Dominik Livakovic joined Barcelona towards the end of the transfer window.

The Croatian international’s arrival appeared to create direct competition for the role of second-choice goalkeeper.

Szczesny made a critical error against Racing Santander. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Flick, however, quickly made his position clear by confirming Szczesny as the immediate deputy to Garcia.

That confidence has not changed following the Polish goalkeeper’s mistake in his most recent appearance against Racing, where his error led to a goal.

Flick played down the incident in his post-match press conference, stressing that mistakes are part of football and expressing his belief that Szczesny will produce a strong performance in his next opportunity.

Only Szczesny himself could change the plan

Szczesny’s commitment to Barcelona is another factor valued by Flick and his coaching staff.

The Polish goalkeeper came out of retirement to join Barcelona after Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a serious injury two seasons ago.

Barcelona hold Szczesny in high regard. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

His willingness to return to professional football and immediately integrate himself into the squad strengthened the trust placed in him by the coaching staff.

That commitment remains an important part of his standing within the group.

There could still be a conversation between Flick and Szczesny before the match, and the goalkeeper could theoretically decide that he does not want to take on the responsibility. Short of that, however, the plan appears clear.

Despite the debate surrounding some of Szczesny’s previous performances and the criticism generated by his costly mistake against Racing, the technical staff’s position remains unchanged.

Unless Garcia’s situation improves enough for him to return, Szczesny is expected to defend Barcelona’s goal in Seville.