Barcelona defender ruled out of Champions League clash against Bayern Munich: Reports
Barcelona defender Eric Garcia has been ruled out of the UEFA Champions League clash against Bayern Munich, as per a report from Mundo Deportivo. The 23-year-old did not feature in the La Liga clash against Sevilla on Sunday (October 20) due to a discomfort in his right adductor muscle.
Garcia suffered this injury during the warm-up prior to the Sevilla game. And as a result, his name was withdrawn from the starting XI at the last moment. Hansi Flick has used Garcia as a midfielder too during this season. Now, the medical team will be focused in assuring the Spaniard's comeback prior to the El Clasico, which is scheduled for October 26.
Eric Garcia joined Barcelona from Manchester City back in 2021. After spending a season on loan at Girona last season, he was brought back and made a crucial member of Hansi Flick's contingent.
This season, Garcia registered nine appearances for the Catalan giants. Out of these, eight came in the La Liga and one in the UEFA Champions League. Moreover, in six matches, he was deployed in a No.6 or a defensive midfield role. The remaining three fixtures saw him get back to his natural centre-back position.
What options can Barcelona deploy to replace Eric Garcia?
Against Sevilla, after Eric Garcia suffered an injury, Ansu Fati was introduced to the line-up. However, against Bayern Munich, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick might be interested in bringing back Frenkie de Jong in the defensive midfield role. The Dutch midfielder didn't play against Sevilla due to certain discomfort, but can be a perfect option for such a grand fixture.
In case, de Jong is not available, Flick can use the likes of Fermin Lopez or Gavi or even Pablo Torre or Dani Olmo if he wishes to be more attacking.
However, it's not only Eric Garcia, but players like Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, Ferran Torres are also out with injuries. Skipper Marc-Andre ter Stegen too, has suffered a long-term injury and the club has roped in Wojciech Szczesny as his replacement.
Barcelona with 27 points, sit at the top of the La Liga table. In the UEFA Champions League however, they have only three points from two fixtures. They lost out in their opener against AS Monaco, but came back in style against Young Boys.
After the Bayern Munich game, the Catalan giants will return to domestic action on October 26 to face Real Madrid. Following this clash, three more important fixtures will be lined up across both La Liga and the continental event.
First, Barcelona will face Espanyol and Real Sociedad in the domestic league and Crvena zvezda in the Champions League before the November international break commences.