Barcelona prepares for El Clásico without Koundé and Olmo.. and Flick resorts to La Masia talents
Barcelona are preparing for one of the most important fixtures of the season, but Hansi Flick faces growing uncertainty over his options ahead of the highly anticipated El Clasico. With Real Madrid standing in their way and little room for unexpected setbacks, the latest training session has revealed developments that could force the German coach to reconsider his plans.
The concerns, however, extend beyond potential absences. Several young talents are now knocking on the first-team door at a crucial moment. Could Barcelona’s academy provide Flick with the solutions he needs, or will the challenge become even more difficult as uncertainty remains over the availability of a key defender?
Barcelona completed their preparations for the meeting with Real Madrid with a final training session at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, amid growing doubts over French defender Jules Kounde’s availability. According to Barca Universal, citing Mundo Deportivo, Kounde trained separately from the group as he continued recovering from a sprain to his left ankle.
The French defender had already missed Barcelona’s Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the week, and his involvement in El Clasico remained in serious doubt because he had not fully recovered. The situation represents another concern for Flick, who is already dealing with a shortage of defensive options ahead of the match.
Under these circumstances, the German coach gave young defender Alex Campos another opportunity to train with the senior squad while assessing the available alternatives. Campos had previously been included in Barcelona’s travelling squad for the Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain, when Kounde and Eric Garcia were unavailable and Gerard Martin was dealing with discomfort before eventually featuring.
Campos was not the only academy prospect involved in training. Attacking midfielder Orian Goren, 17, also joined the session alongside Hamza Abdelkarim, who has regularly trained with the first team. Goren caught Flick’s attention during pre-season, earning another opportunity to demonstrate his ability amid the team’s current difficulties.
Goren’s return to first-team training followed Dani Olmo’s injury during the match against Paris Saint-Germain. The setback has prompted Flick to assess potential replacements for the Spanish midfielder. These circumstances could give the young prospect an opportunity to earn his first official senior-team call-up, although training with the first team does not guarantee a place in the final El Clasico squad.
Barcelona’s task has become more complicated because of the number of confirmed absentees ahead of the meeting with Real Madrid. Alongside the uncertainty surrounding Kounde, Eric Garcia is unavailable after sustaining an injury against Real Betis, while Dani Olmo is recovering from an adductor tear suffered during the Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Catalan club will also be without Andreas Christensen, who has been unavailable since September, and Roony Bardghji, who is recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury. These absences present Flick and his coaching staff with a significant challenge, given the importance of the fixture and the need to field the strongest possible team against their traditional rivals.
As Barcelona work to recover injured players and consider options from the La Masia academy, Flick continues searching for the right balance ahead of El Clasico. Kounde’s fitness, the ability of the available defenders to cover for missing teammates, and the potential involvement of Goren and Campos remain among the key factors that could shape Barcelona’s plans against Real Madrid.
