Hansi Flick should not start 22-year-old Barcelona player against Club Brugge – Opinion | OneFootball

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has some important decisions to make in terms of team selection for the game against Belgian side Club Brugge in the Champions League, and must also factor in players returning from injury.

Addressing the elephant in the room, Flick does not have the luxury of using either Raphinha or Pedri in this game, with both players out injured. It is a shame, because the duo are among the most important players in the Barcelona squad.

Pedri’s injury also leaves the pivot position extremely thin in terms of depth, with Marc Casado, Frenkie de Jong, a not fully fit Marc Bernal, and Eric Garcia as the options. Common sense would suggest that Flick goes with the first two as the pairing in that position.

However, Flick must resist that temptation and not start Casado against Brugge. Both Frenkie and the Spaniard are one yellow card away from missing the Chelsea game at Stamford Bridge. While the Dutchman has the experience to play through a game without picking up a booking, the same cannot be said about the 22-year-old.

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Casado has a tackle-heavy game, and his slide tackles are what make him as effective as he is. Asking him to curb his natural instincts to avoid a booking would only limit his ability to influence the game, and Flick would be better off playing someone else.

Naturally, the temptation for the Barcelona fans would be to see Marc Bernal in action. Flick has been extremely cautious in easing him back to the extent that he is hardly seeing minutes, and throwing him into the deep end against Brugge might not be a wise choice.

That leaves Eric as the most likely option to get the nod in the pivot position alongside Frenkie. The Spaniard is versatile and can play as a centre-back, right-back, and central midfielder, and he would be a safe bet considering his form.

Of course, this would mean a reshuffle of the back line, with Araujo partnering Cubarsi in central defence. Andreas Christensen is injured and out of contention, and this also means that Jules Kounde will have to continue at right-back, despite his poor form.

These injuries that Barcelona are suffering early in the 2025/26 season paint a picture of how wafer-thin the squad Flick is working with. It also shows that, in hindsight, letting Inigo Martinez leave and not replacing him was an ill-advised decision.

The fact that the German coach still manages to keep the Catalan club competitive despite all this is a testament to his skills as a manager. It remains to be seen what XI he puts out on the park against Brugge and how the team plays.