Why Barcelona can rest easy even after Joan Garcia’s injury setback | OneFootball

Earlier this week, Barcelona confirmed the injury of new signing Joan Garcia, who has since successfully completed his surgery.

The goalkeeper is expected to be sidelined for a period of up to six weeks, leaving Barcelona with Wojciech Szczesny in between the sticks.

However, having Szczesny as the goalkeeper has worked well for Barcelona in the past and this is backed up by statistics.

Barcelona can rest easy with Szczesny

When Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered an injury about a year ago, it was Szczesny who stepped up to compete with Inaki Pena and eventually became Barcelona’s number one.

Included in Hansi Flick’s first squad on October 20, Szczesny waited patiently before making his debut on January 4, 2025, in the Copa del Rey against Barbastro.

From there, he quickly became a key figure, starting in the Spanish Super Cup and making his La Liga debut on January 26 against Valencia.

Barcelona should have immense faith in Szczesny. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

His impact over the second half of the 2024-25 season was remarkable. Szczesny made 30 appearances across all four competitions, recording 24 wins, four draws, and just two defeats.

Both defeats came in the Champions League away to Borussia Dortmund and Inter.

Domestically, his numbers were even more impressive. In La Liga, he helped Barcelona win 14 of 15 matches, drawing the other.

In the Copa del Rey, he oversaw four victories and one draw, while in the Saudi Arabian Super Cup he delivered a perfect record with two wins out of two.

Overall, the veteran goalkeeper played a key role in helping Barcelona secure the domestic treble. Now, with Pena out on loan and Garcia and Ter Stegen sidelined, it is time for the former Arsenal man to step up once again.