Christensen injury forces Flick to search for defensive cover before Clasico

The same scene all over again: Andreas Christensen walking off in tears, this time from the pitch at Sevilla's stadium, in the middle of a match Barcelona would go on to win. And once again, Hansi Flick faces the same task: finding someone to fill the gap at the back while the Dane recovers.

What makes this injury sting is the timing. Christensen had been racking up more minutes this season than in all of last year combined, when physical problems barely let him string matches together. He was finally settling in as Pau Cubarsi's ideal partner at the heart of the defense, and it was in fact his pass that set up Raphinha's equalizer against Sevilla. Just as the partnership seemed to be clicking, it comes to a halt.

Christensen is expected to be out for roughly three weeks, though given his injury history, that timeline shouldn't be taken for granted. The problem is the calendar shows no mercy: the Clasico on October 25 against Real Madrid is looming, and Flick knows he can't walk into that game improvising in defense. The upcoming international break comes almost as a gift, giving him time to test options and make a decision.

Gerard Martin, the frontrunner

The most obvious option is Gerard Martin. It wouldn't be a blind gamble: Flick already trusted the pairing of Catalan center backs, Cubarsi and Martin, during the decisive moments of last season. The player's own path helps explain that confidence: he debuted as a left back two seasons ago, but the German coach decided to convert him, and today he views him exclusively as a center back.

Eric Garcia's case runs in the opposite direction. The man who used to be Flick's utility player finally seems to have found his fixed spot as the starting right back. He explained it himself:

Flick told me at the start of preseason that I was going to be a key player at right back.Eric Garcia

Eric's consolidation at right back leaves Jules Kounde with less of a role in the lineup, but it also turns him into a real alternative for central defense. Those days when Kounde formed a fixed partnership with Ronald Araujo are long gone, but this season Flick has already given him minutes as a center back, so that door remains open. And with Xavi Espart, Joao Cancelo and Alejandro Balde covering the full backs more than adequately, the German has room to shift Eric or Kounde into the middle without neglecting the flanks.

The La Masia card

If the need becomes urgent, Flick is also looking toward La Masia, where Hafiz Gariba is the best prepared center back at Barca Atletic. He's 19 years old and carries a heavy story: he worked in a mine starting at age 5 before his talent and physical gifts brought him to Catalonia. After stints with two clubs, he signed with FC Barcelona in 2025. He has already trained with the first team on several occasions and was included in the preseason squad, so if Flick needs to turn to the academy, all signs point to him being the first name on the list.