Barcelona recall 19-year-old La Masia gem from U-20 World Cup amid injury woes | OneFootball

Earlier today, FC Barcelona confirmed a double injury blow as Joan Garcia and Raphinha were both ruled out for the next few weeks due to physical problems.

Garcia, in fact, will be undergoing arthroscopic surgery tomorrow to address a torn meniscus and is expected to be out for four to six weeks.

It leaves Barça in a difficult position, with Wojciech Szczesny as the only established goalkeeper in the squad, with little to no experience as far as backups from the academy are concerned.

Diego Kochen to return from U-20 World Cup

As a result, Mundo Deportivo now reports that Barcelona have recalled 19-year-old Diego Kochen from national team duty with the USA following Garcia’s injury.

Kochen, who has been Barcelona’s third goalkeeper since Marc-André ter Stegen’s injury, was already training in Chile with the United States national team to begin the Under-20 World Cup in the coming days.

However, the injury to Garcia has forced his immediate return to Barcelona, meaning he will not take part in the tournament.

Kochen will be Barça’s No. 2 behind Szczesny. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

In fact, as per the report, Hansi Flick will have him available this Sunday for the Barcelona vs Real Sociedad match as Szczesny’s backup.

The German coach has great confidence in Kochen and wants him to be the alternative to the Polish goalkeeper, while Garcia remains sidelined.

For training sessions, Flick also wants a stable pair of goalkeepers, which is why Kochen has been recalled to Barcelona immediately.

Negotiations between Barcelona and the United States Soccer Federation were quick and effective, as the American officials and coaches understood the needs of the Catalan club.

While Garcia is injured, and with Marc-Andre ter Stegen also unavailable, Flick is expected to count on Eder Aller as the third-choice goalkeeper. The 18-year-old was already included in the first-team squad against Real Oviedo on Thursday.