Hansi Flick is facing a selection headache in midfield for Barcelona’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Atlético Madrid on Wednesday evening.
The German manager admitted that he took a “risk” with Pedri’s fitness earlier this season, burdening his star metronome with more minutes than the medical team would have advised. He got lucky. Not all his teammates have been so fortunate.
Pedri’s two first-choice midfield partners are set to miss the midweek rematch with Atlético, while Raphinha’s absence threatens to derail the pressing structures across the frontline. Fortunately for Flick, defender Ronald Araújo has escaped any serious ailment to make Wednesday’s roster.
Barcelona have already faced Atlético four times this season alone, forcing Flick to cook up a tweaked set of tactics. “Yesterday was about recovery, and today we worked on something special,” the Barça boss teased.
“It’s important to show on the field what we’ve been working on in training. I hope it works out.”
Raphinha
- Injury: Hamstring
- Return date: May 3 (vs. Osasuna)
Raphinha is comfortably Barcelona’s most significant absentee. The Catalans have lost just one of the 26 games which the hard-running Brazilian forward has started this season. It was painfully evident that Raphinha’s industry and dexterity was absent for the 4–0 humbling against Atlético in the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg. When the sides reconvened for the return tie at Camp Nou, Raphinha scored in a 3–0 win.
“If there is anyone committed to winning at Barcelona, it’s Raphinha,” Flick gushed earlier this season. There are few players better at getting Barcelona to win than the No. 11.
Frenkie de Jong
- Injury: Hamstring
- Return date: April 11 (vs. Espanyol)
Frenkie de Jong hasn’t featured for Barcelona in the Champions League since January. Suspension and a hamstring injury have sidelined the scheming Dutch passer over the subsequent months but an end to his absence is hurtling into view.
De Jong was not part of training in the buildup to Wednesday’s European tie but is expected to feature in some capacity during this weekend’s Catalan derby against Espanyol. The idea is for the Netherlands international to be back in time for the second leg against Atlético, although that is still subject to De Jong’s fickle muscles.
Marc Bernal
- Injury: Ankle
- Return date: April 14 (vs. Atlético Madrid)
Youthful exuberance floods out of every pore on Marc Bernal. The ever-eager defensive midfielder has discovered a taste for goal since being granted the run of starts which he has been gagging for since returning from an ACL tear back in the autumn.
Flick belatedly trusted the teenage totem to start eight successive matches as February bled into March only for Bernal to damage his ankle as a substitute against Atlético on the weekend. Mundo Deportivo estimate the midfielder will be sidelined for 10 days and is already targeting the second leg in Madrid for his return. As ever, that is an ambitious target according to Barcelona’s medical staff.
Andreas Christensen
- Injury: Knee
- Return date: Unknown
Andreas Christensen has absolutely no luck. After missing 50 games for club and country through the 2024–25 campaign with a serious Achilles tendon issue, the Dane eased his way back into action this term.
Christensen started three of Barcelona’s first seven league games before giving into a calf injury. On his first start in three months, the former Chelsea defender scored in a Copa del Rey victory over CD Guadalajara only to emerge from the game with an “unfortunate twist of the knee.” That proved to be a partial ACL tear which may very well bring his Barcelona career to a premature conclusion as his contract expires in June.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Injuries: Every Player Ruled Out of Champions League Clash vs. Atletico Madrid.
