Barcelona are already without some very important midfielders and as per reports, Fermin Lopez has also picked up a knock.
The 21-year-old is yet to start a game this season but he has featured in all three La Liga games for Barcelona and he was also called up for the Spain Under-21 squad. However, the Spanish federation has confirmed that Fermin Lopez has withdrawn from international duty due to a muscle injury.
Barcelona are already without Frenkie de Jong and Gavi and last weekend Hansi Flick lost Marc Bernal for the remainder of the season due to an ACL injury. Andreas Christensen, who can cover in central midfield is also out until January with an Achilles tendon issue.
With so many midfield options already unavailable, the last thing the manager would have wanted is the injury to Fermin Lopez.
Pedri and Marc Casado are currently Flick’s first-choice central midfield duo so it’s not that Lopez is getting a lot of game time. However, the midfielder will be on the sidelines for one month and during this time, Barcelona will play a lot of important games.
Thankfully, the international break has started which means Fermin Lopez will get two free weeks to make a quick recovery. Still, once the Catalans return to action, they will face Girona, Villarreal and Osasuna in the La Liga. They will also kick off their Champions League campaign with a match against AS Monaco.
On paper, all these matches are very much winnable for Barcelona, especially with the form they are in right now. However, one more central midfield injury and Hansi Flick will have to make some serious changes. Either the manager will have to use someone like Pablo Torre or Dani Olmo as a central midfielder or the manager will have to change his formation and use a single player in the midfield pivot role.
