Barcelona facing up to six first-team absences for crucial Osasuna clash | OneFootball

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has yet another selection headache, as Pau Cubarsi was forced off with an ankle injury during Spain’s Nations League quarterfinal against the Netherlands.

The Barcelona centre-back sprained his right ankle in the 38th minute and had to leave the pitch, assisted by medical staff.

While there is no confirmation yet, this injury could rule him out of Barcelona’s rescheduled La Liga fixture against Osasuna on March 27, a game that Flick had already planned to rotate his squad for ahead of the La Liga clash against Girona.

Barcelona’s worry

Cubarsi’s potential absence adds to Flick’s growing concerns, with Ronald Araujo and Raphinha both racing against time to be available for the Osasuna game.

Furthermore, Gerard Martin, Fermin Lopez, Pablo Torre (U-21s), and Hector Fort (U-19s) are all on international duty as well. Meanwhile, Inigo Martinez was not called up by Spain due to ongoing knee issues.

Adding to the crisis, Marc Casado recently suffered a partial tear of the lateral ligament in the Atletico Madrid clash, making him another key absentee. Lastly, Andreas Christensen remains absent as well.

With so many players either injured or involved in international duty, Flick could be without at least four members of his preferred lineup against Osasuna.

Barcelona’s internationals

Pau Cubarsi was injured against the Netherlands. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Despite Cubarsi’s injury, several other Barcelona stars featured for their national teams:

Pedri and Lamine Yamal both started for Spain, each playing 67 minutes.

Dani Olmo made a late cameo, coming on for the final 23 minutes.

Ferran Torres was left out of the squad as a precaution.

Frenkie de Jong played 74 minutes for the Netherlands.

Jules Kounde played the full 90 minutes in France’s 2-0 defeat to Croatia.

Hector Fort featured for Spain’s U-19s, playing 62 minutes in their 2-1 victory over France.

What next for Flick?

With so many uncertainties, Flick will be hoping for positive updates from Spain’s medical team regarding Cubarsi’s injury.

If he is ruled out, the German coach may be forced to reshuffle his defensive setup once again as Barcelona prepare for a crucial run of fixtures.

The upcoming days will be crucial in determining whether Barcelona will have enough depth to navigate both their domestic and European challenges.