‘We’re very happy‘— Hansi Flick expects injured Barcelona star to return after the international break | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are set to visit Celta Vigo in La Liga this weekend, in what is always a difficult trip for the Catalan club. The German manager will be keen to build on the win against Elche last weekend.

There are many injury concerns coming into this game, and he has a very thin squad to work with. Every time a couple of players return, a couple head to the treatment table.

This has been Barcelona’s story of the season so far, and among those injured is Joan Garcia. The shot-stopper had a bright start to his career at the club but has been out of action for more than a month.

In the pre-match press conference ahead of the Vigo game, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Flick confirmed that the Spanish goalkeeper is progressing well and is expected to be available after the international break. He said:

Garcia has already started training with the team and took part in their open training session at the Spotify Camp Nou on Friday. It is Flick who seems to be erring on the side of caution and not using him tomorrow.

In his absence, although Wojciech Szczesny has proven to be a reliable shot-stopper, he is not comfortable with the ball at his feet and does not sweep off his line as well as the Catalan. This has seen Barcelona concede many more goals.

There is no doubt that the return of Joan would be a massive defensive boost. Let us hope he is fit and available to play against Athletic Bilbao, hopefully at the Spotify Camp Nou.