Barcelona youth prodigy could make senior team debut against Alaves amid defensive injury crisis
· Yahoo Sports
Barcelona’s defensive injury problems could finally open the door for Brian Farinas to make his official first-team debut against Deportivo Alaves, reports Mundo Deportivo.
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Xavi Espart is injured, Eric García is unavailable and Jules Kounde has yet to resume training with the main group.
The situation leaves Flick needing an alternative, potentially giving Farinas an opportunity to turn his promising pre-season into a competitive appearance.
Barcelona’s injury crisis creates an opening at right-back
Farinas has already shown that he can operate on the right side of defence, having played there during Barcelona’s pre-season meeting with Birmingham City.
With several established options unavailable or uncertain, his positional versatility could become particularly valuable against Alaves.
However, the youngster has yet to feature in an official match despite generating excitement during the summer.
Brian Farinas could have left for Girona. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
Receiving the number four shirt previously worn by Ronald Araujo and earning praise from Flick raised expectations, making his continued absence from the team increasingly notable.
Saturday’s fixture could offer the right circumstances for the coach to assess him in a competitive setting.
Whether Flick decides to trust him from the start remains unclear, but the lack of available defenders makes the possibility more realistic.
Flick rejected Girona move after being impressed by Farinas
It must be remembered that Flick personally intervened to prevent the midfielder’s proposed move to Girona, which was close to completion.
Girona had offered €1.5 million for 50% of his rights, but Flick was impressed by Farinas’ footballing ability, attitude and progress during his first-team training sessions.
The coach believed he had developed enough to remain within Barcelona’s plans.
Brian Farinas could make his Barcelona debut vs Alaves. (Photo courtesy: X/FC Barcelona_es)
Following the departures of Marc Casado and Tommy Marques, Farinas was selected for promotion to the senior squad.
His ability to play as a central midfielder or fill in at full-back made him an adaptable option, and his preseason performances strengthened the case for giving him opportunities.
Alaves match could test Flick’s decision to promote Farinas
Despite the absences in defence, Farinas has yet to appear in an official match.
That has raised questions about how Flick intends to use a player he was determined to keep at the club.
The Alaves fixture could provide an important indication of whether the coach is ready to trust his younger options when circumstances demand it.