Things are so bad at Barcelona that even their youth team matches are getting postponed.
The LaLiga side currently have Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Gavi, Fermin Lopez, Dani Olmo, Bernal and Marc Andre ter Stegen sidelined and the ramifications are being felt elsewhere.
In their places, Hansi Flick has called up Hector Fort, Marc Casado, Ander Astralaga, Sergi Dominguez, Gerard Martin, Pablo Torre and Pau Victor, while Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi and Ivan Pena only recently made it out of the club’s academy.
Such tough choices mean that Barça Atlètic’s upcoming clash with Real Sociedad B has been postponed.
The match, scheduled for October 12, has been taken off the calendar, while the club have also appealed for December 18.
Usually, such requests would not be granted and players would have to be called up from lower categories, but the combination of an injury crisis and players being called up by their national team means that Barça Atlètic can’t name 11 players for the match.
According to the Spanish FA [RFEF], the judge has accepted the club’s request because the regulations consider the absence of a number of players that reduces the squad to less than 11 due to unforeseeable circumstances to be force majeure for suspension or postponement.
Barcelona had to prove this with medical reports and international call-ups.
In terms of good news, Gavi is now closing on a return after almost a year on the sidelines with an ACL injury.
The midfielder is reportedly keen to feature next time out against Sevilla on October 20, but the club are likely to be more cautious.
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