Barcelona face a big showdown with Atletico Madrid on Saturday night, a match that would worry fans given their recent form. After the news that their creative center Lamine Yamal will be injured, Hansi Flick gets a big headache.
Only a 3-0 win over Brest in the Champions League leaves Barcelona without winners in games that Lamine Yamal has missed. Whatever options he chooses to replace the 17-year-old on the right against Atletico Madrid, it will represent a major change in thinking. Here are some of the options Flick could turn to, as highlighted by Sport.
The Spain international has been in good form with four goals in four games, but they all came as a striker in place of Robert Lewandowski. Torres started his career as a right winger, but was not used there by Flick this season.
The Brazilian has been given a free role inside on the left for the most part, but in games where Lamine Yamal has been subbed out or absent, the Brazilian has shifted to the right. That is also his favorite place in theory, but he has also been more effective on the other side.
The former RB Leipzig playmaker is versatile and has been deployed on the right in the past, but is more familiar with the center of the pitch and the left. He could give Barcelona more control, but Flick would also change the configuration in the center of the pitch.
Since his injury in September, Fermin has struggled to replicate his best form. That was the case during their match against Real Sociedad, when he played on the right in the absence of Lamine Yamal. That didn't work, but shows it's an option for Flick.
Probably the least likely of the options mentioned, Victor was occasionally used by Flick on the right side during preseason and also scored goals with his form. Like Fermin, he could provide a lot of defensive work and runs behind, but it is not a natural option to hold the ball.
Other options mentioned include players like Pablo Torre, Gavi, youth player Dani Rodriguez or Toni Fernandez, although they would be even more of a surprise than players like Victor. Flick will have to change his playing style without Lamine Yamal, and it seems it will partly be a choice between hiding his own weaknesses or attacking Atletico Madrid's.
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