Barcelona Heads Into El Clasico With a Packed Infirmary: Olmo, Christensen and Eric Garcia Ruled Out

A rash of injuries before a Clasico is never good news for Barcelona, and this time the list got a bit more complicated than expected. Hansi Flick will have to make do with a half full infirmary as his side hosts Real Madrid at Camp Nou in the first big league date of the season.

The latest scare came with Dani Olmo, who could not even finish the match against PSG in the Champions League. The Terrassa native asked to be taken off around the half hour mark and Fermin Lopez came on in his place. Subsequent tests confirmed what everyone feared: an adductor injury that will keep him out of the Clasico and that, as the club itself confirmed through its official channels, will sideline him for roughly a month.

Christensen and Eric Garcia, the confirmed absences on defense

If the Olmo news stings, the situation at the back is even more worrying. Barcelona already knew it would be without Andreas Christensen and Eric Garcia for this match, and in both cases there is reason for concern.

The Dane was coming off a season to forget, logging little more than 500 minutes because of physical issues, and just when he seemed to have found some continuity under Flick, injury struck again. He got hurt against Sevilla on September 19, and the club confirmed a muscle problem in the rectus femoris of his left quadriceps. Tellingly, no recovery timeline was given: his return remains a question mark.

Eric Garcia's case did not come at a good time either. He had already been substituted late against Real Betis and ended up ruled out for the matches against PSG and Real Madrid. Tests revealed an injury to the rectus femoris in his right thigh that will keep him sidelined for 3 to 4 weeks.

And if we are talking about severity, no one compares to Roony Bardghji. The Swede tore his anterior cruciate ligament during preseason, and he is not expected to be available again until the final stretch of the season.

Kounde Under Watch, Gerard Martin Available After All

It remains to be seen whether Jules Kounde will be ready in time. The Frenchman got injured at La Cartuja a few days ago, missed the match against PSG, and is racing against the clock to be available for one of the biggest fixtures of the year.

Gerard Martin's situation looks better. The fullback had to be subbed off at halftime against Betis following a collision with Cucho Hernandez, and he was a doubt right up until kickoff against PSG. He ended up playing the full Champions League match, so his availability for the Clasico now looks safe.