Barcelona looks like they will be without starting left back Alejandro Bald in Milan, while they compete against Inter in the second stage of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday evening, leaving manager Hansi Flick with something of a selection filemma. Here are his options for the big competition.
Last week there was optimism that Balde would be back in time, because his recovery is approaching four weeks after a muscle injury of class two, but during the weekend that optimism was blurred. Inter was most effective on the right, with Denzel Dumfries caused problems for the Blaugrana defense.
According to the sport, the fact that Martin played the entire game against Real Valladolid is taken as a sign that he will not be trusted against Dumfries for the second time. He struggled to deal with the Dutchman in the first stage and was immersed during the break, where Inigo Martinez went to the left.
He has the size to tackle the air threat of Inter, but looked from his depth in the first stage. That said, he is also the most natural option for film.
Several reports emerged on Sunday that Inigo Martinez was considered an emergency option on the left. The Basque Defender has played against Real Madrid and Inter there in recent weeks and has not suffered it to the same extent defensively.
His presence, however, reduces any overlapping threat to Barcelona and forces a large reconciling. Pau Cubarsi and Martinez are a proven concept in the central defense, and that shift requires that Cubarsi is playing on the left to house Ronald Araujo.
It seems very unlikely that Hector Fort would be thrown into left-back in this match, even if he would perform well there last season for Xavi Hernandez against Athletic Club and Atletico Madrid away from home. However, Flick has not shown the same confidence in him, and although he looked good against Mallorca at left back, it will not have helped his case that he was defensive against Real Valladolid in his more natural right back place.
Ronald Araujo seems to play on Rechtsback of Center-Back, but also played the strange game for Xavi there. The Uruguayan can struggle to play the ball out, and not do this on his natural side, can disturb him, but Araujo is defensively perhaps the most cut to deal with Dumfries.
Araujo certainly has in terms of pace and power and has the lead on someone else in the Blaugrana team, and in the air he could also compete with the Dutchman. However, it is a risk, an unnatural position for him.