While there are still a few days of international break separating the fans from seeing FC Barcelona back on the field, the fate of their upcoming match is already in question. With many of their players unavailable due to various injuries, will they be able to put together a team that could fight for the coveted three points?
It seems like every day, there is news of a new Barcelona player having to put a pause on their season due to injuries. Of course, I could mention Marc-André ter Stegen and his controversial back issues, but he isn’t really counted as the team’s 2025/26 player. Who is worth mentioning is the man who took his place, Joan Garcia. The young goalkeeper came into the season in a very impressive manner and promised to do great things in Barca’s goal. Unfortunately, only a few months after joining the team, he injured his meniscus and eliminated himself from play for a good few weeks. He is currently replaced by Wojeciech Szczęsny, the player whom Blaugrana pulled back from retirement.
The defence isn’t the only side of Barcelona’s field that might be lacking in their upcoming game. Both Raphinha and Lamine Yamal are currently out of contention. As if that wasn’t enough, during the international break, Dani Olmo worsened his calf injury and ended up not playing in the game against Georgia. The team’s midfield also has some gaps, with Gavi being out for the next few months, following an injury related to the same knee in which he had previously torn his ACL.
The coach of the Spanish national team, Luis de la Fuente, has had a famously turbulent relationship with Barcelona, in the big part because of the team’s history with injured players. Blaugrana’s officials have repeatedly asked him to give their players a rest and not force them to play all the games, but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
I already mentioned Olmo hurting himself during the international break, but he isn’t the only player to do so. After playing against Georgia, Ferran Torres hurt his hamstring. As a result, he will be out of the match against Bulgaria, and his involvement in Barcelona’s game against Girona remains to be seen. On top of that, there are reports of other players, such as the invaluable Pedri, showing signs of general exhaustion. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility that after the second World Cup qualifier of the week, other names will be added to the ever-growing list of injured players.
So what impact will all of this have on the upcoming game? Barcelona needs a good, clean win to help them bounce back from the terrible week they had right before the international break began. Currently, such a scenario looks highly unlikely. The decimated squad might run into some problems, and it cannot afford anything other than a victory.
Looking at Barcelona’s situation, reopens the conversation about the intensity of football seasons and the impact frequent international breaks have on the players. I think that year after year, the situation of professional football players is becoming less and less sustainable. With new competitions and extended seasons, there is not enough time for them to rest and recover. This, in turn, leads to many dangerous, or even career-ending, injuries. Yes, more matches mean more entertainment for the fans, but is that entertainment worth the players’ health?
The international breaks, especially for the bigger teams, also add to the problem. All Barcelona fans will remember how being exerted by Spain’s coach put Pedri’s career on hold a couple of years ago. Although it seemed like things had changed, he might be heading towards the same fate again, this time being forced to play for 70 or 80 minutes in ‘easy’ games. Is there a line that international coaches won’t cross? Or is it that all that matters for them is the results the players get on their fields?
All that is left for Barcelona’s fans is to cross their fingers that all players will be properly taken care of and that the team’s reserve will be able to ‘pick up the slack’. While there isn’t much that can be done for Blaugrana ahead of the upcoming game, there is still time to look at the systems governing modern football and see if there is some room for improvement. Even in multi-billion-dollar sports industries, the health and well-being of the people should always come first.
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