Flick experimented with Fermín against Real Sociedad and will now have to rethink his attacking options, facing significant absences as the team prepares to visit Celta at Balaídos.
Lamine Yamal’s absence for the Celta-Barça encounter, coupled with uncertainty about when the promising winger will return after missing the last league match due to discomfort, forces Hansi Flick, the Blaugrana coach, to once again explore possible solutions to mitigate the impact of these attacking absences. This Saturday, at Balaídos, the league leaders will resume competition after the international break, missing not only Lamine but also Ansu Fati, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury, and Ferran Torres, who remains out as well. Fortunately for Barça, top scorer Robert Lewandowski, who has rested during the last two international weeks due to back pain, and Pau Victor, will be available to bolster the ranks of pure strikers alongside the attacking midfielders/wingers already present in the squad.
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Against Real Sociedad, it was Fermín López who was chosen by Flick to fill in for Lamine Yamal. However, this tactical solution did not yield the desired effect, evident from the 1-0 scoreline and the lack of shots on target recorded by the team.
Raphinha, the newly appointed No. 10 for the Brazilian national team, returns to Barça training with a sense of authority, potentially allowing him to reclaim his favoured right wing position, while Lamine has adeptly occupied the left this season.
Another versatile option in the attacking third is Dani Olmo, who can operate in a three-man attacking midfield behind the central striker or shift to the left wing, where he poses a threat with his diagonal runs. Pedri can also play centrally, either as an attacking midfielder or a deeper role alongside the usual central midfielder, Marc Casadó. In the latter scenario, Fermín could again adapt to any position within the three-man attacking midfield.
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There are two more potential candidates for an attacking role. One possibility is to give Gavi a starting role, though with just 48 minutes spread over six matches since his return from a year-long injury layoff, this solution seems a bit premature. The other option would be to deploy Pau Victor on the left wing, which would be surprising as he has only accumulated 174 minutes across eleven official matches this season.
