Barcelona Suffer Another Injury Blow as Starlet Fermin Lopez Sidelined for a Month

We're not even a month into the 2024/25 season, and Barcelona's injury list is already piling up. Unfortunately, things have taken a turn for the worse during the international break, as promising young star Fermin Lopez has been sidelined for nearly a month with a thigh injury.

Barcelona confirmed that Lopez has sustained a hamstring injury, ruling him out for approximately three weeks. After impressing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Lopez was called up to Spain’s U-21 squad by head coach Santi Denia. However, during his first training session with the team, Lopez picked up the injury and was swiftly sent back to Barcelona for further tests. 

Lopez's absence means he'll likely miss three to four key games for Barcelona, including a tough matchup against Girona, the Champions League opener against AS Monaco, a trip to La Ceramica to face Villarreal, and a home clash against Getafe. This injury couldn’t come at a worse time for Hansi Flick and his squad, as they’re already struggling with a string of injuries in midfield. Frenkie De Jong (ankle), Gavi (knee), and Marc Bernal (knee) are all set for lengthy spells on the sidelines. 

Flick now finds himself with only four fit midfielders: Pedri, Dani Olmo, Pablo Torre, and Marc Casado. Complicating matters further, Barcelona had to terminate Ilkay Gundogan’s contract to register summer signing Dani Olmo, which further thinned Flick’s midfield ranks. Now, Hansi Flick will have to navigate a busy post-international schedule with just four fit midfielders. However, it should be noted that defender Eric Garcia can play as a defensive midfielder.  

Hansi Flick start to life as Barcelona’s head coach has been very impressive. The German head coach has led his team to four straight wins in the La Liga. As a result, they have already opened up a four-point lead at the top of the table over rivals like Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. Blaugrana’s 7-0 victory against Real Valladolid was especially impressive, as Valladolid had no answer to Barcelona’s fluid attack. Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Lewandowski and Dani Olmo have all settled well into Flick’s system. 

 What’s even more exciting for Barcelona fans is Flick’s commitment to integrating La Masia talent into the first team. Youngsters like Marc Bernal, Marc Casado, and Hector Fort have all seen valuable minutes on the pitch, proving Flick’s willingness to nurture homegrown talent. However, the growing list of injuries to key players poses a real threat to Flick's dream start at the helm. If not managed carefully, these setbacks could disrupt the incredible momentum he's built so far. 

Also Read: Foden, Palmer and Watkins Withdraw From England’s Nations League Squad