Hansi Flick is now eagerly awaiting a blessed midfield dilemma at Barcelona | OneFootball

Although the results have been very impressive, Hansi Flick has not yet had access to the full resources of the FC Barcelona squad. Since the start of the season, several important players have been sidelined with injuries, with the midfield being a particularly affected area.

The midfield pivot position was one of the clearest areas of weakness at the start of the season. However, Flick fielded the youngster Marc Bernal at this position, with very good returns, but the La Masia graduate suffered an ACL tear only a few matchdays into the season.

In the absence of other key players, Flick has had to play Eric Garcia as a pivot in some matches, and Raphinha as an attacking midfielder in other matches.

However, as Mundo Deportivo has noted, there might be another problem arising for Flick by the time the current international break ends. This problem is going to be a rather blessed one, as several Barcelona midfielders like Dani Olmo, Fermin Lopez, and Gavi, are expected to return from their injuries.

Frenkie de Jong has already played the first few minutes on the pitch after recovering from his ankle issue. Thus, if we add Casado, Pedri, Pablo Torre, and Eric Garcia into the count, the return of the previously mentioned four players will mean Flick will have up to eight players available for only three midfield positions.

Two of these three midfield positions are those of the double pivot, where Flick has tried five different pairings up to now, with the Casado-Pedri pairing being the most common. The German tactician will be tempted to play Frenkie as one of the pivots going forward, but the Dutchman would still need some time to get back to his best.

For the attacking midfield role, Hansi Flick has mainly relied on Raphinha and Pablo Torre. However, with Dani Olmo’s return, he’s expected to reclaim his place as the first-choice option. How Flick manages this wealth of midfield talent remains to be seen, presenting an intriguing tactical challenge