Hansi Flick staring at a major selection puzzle before Barcelona face Copenhagen | OneFootball

FC Barcelona will face Copenhagen this Wednesday with a place in the top eight of the Champions League at stake.

Having managed to secure a victory away to Slavia Prague last week, the Blaugrana have an opportunity to sneak into the top eight and avoid going through an additional playoff round to qualify for the Round of 16.

Leading up to the game, though, manager Hansi Flick has some major selection decisions to make, with the most concerning one coming in midfield.

After all, Barcelona will be without Frenkie de Jong, who is suspended for the match. The injury to Pedri further complicates matters for the Blaugrana manager.

Now, according to SPORT, everything indicates that Dani Olmo, who scored against Real Oviedo, will occupy Pedri’s position in midfield, with Fermin Lopez expected to operate as the No. 10.

As for the player to fill the De Jong role, Flick has three options.

Bringing Eric back into midfield

A few days ago, this seemed the most obvious option, but recent team dynamics have raised more doubts. Firstly, Flick appears happy with the partnership formed by Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia in central defence.

Moreover, Gerard Martin has seen his performances drop in his recent appearances as a centre-back.

Garcia to return to midfield vs Copenhagen? (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Nonetheless, the option of moving Eric into midfield is a strong possibility, even though Barça looked much better in the second half vs Oviedo after he moved to centre-back after starting at right-back.

Marc Casado: The logical option

Marc Casado made a surprise start against Real Oviedo, filling in for Pedri, pairing with De Jong. And the manager has the option of turning to the La Masia midfielder again against Copenhagen.

During Flick’s first months at the club, Casado produced his best performances playing in the holding midfield position when De Jong was out injured. Having seen his importance wane this season, the midfielder will hope to regain prominence.

Betting on Marc Bernal

Marc Bernal played just over 15 minutes against Real Oviedo and could be a surprise contender to start against Copenhagen.

The young Spaniard has seen his minutes being managed by Flick this season since his return from an ACL injury, but there has been a gradual increase in his game time. A starting berth in a crucial UEFA Champions League fixture could be a major step in the right direction.