Despite Lamine Yamal‘s impressive form, Barcelona haven’t had their dream season, with an unstable start featuring surprising defeats and draws. Injuries to several key players have been a major factor. Just as it seemed that several players, including Joan Garcia, Raphinha, among others were recovering, Lamine has now lost another key teammate. The Culers announced that Fermin Lopez suffered an injury following the harsh defeat to Chelsea.
According to Barcelona on X, formerly Twitter, Fermin Lopez has been diagnosed with a minor injury to the soleus muscle in his right leg. While the injury is not considered serious, the midfielder will be sidelined for two weeks, causing him to miss at least four games against Deportivo Alaves, Atletico Madrid, Real Betis, and Eintracht Frankfurt. As a result, coach Hansi Flick loses one of his offensive leaders, necessitating changes to his system.
Even though Fermin Lopez was considered a rotation player in the previous season, the Spaniard has emerged as one of the standout performers on Barcelona’s roster. In the 2025-26 season, he has netted 7 goals and provided 4 assists in just 13 games. However, his impact extends beyond statistics; he has become a commanding leader and one of the team’s cornerstones next to Lamine Yamal. For this reason, his absence presents a significant challenge.
In Fermin’s absence, coach Hansi Flick may turn to Dani Olmo to lead the attacking midfield, granting him a starting role for the upcoming two weeks. This opportunity allows the 27-year-old midfielder to prove his critics wrong after his impact on the team has not met expectations. Moreover, he will have the opportunity to showcase the connection he has demonstrated with Lamine Yamal in Spain, where he stands as one of the national team’s key players.
FC Barcelona’s Dani Olmo dribbles the ball during a game.
Barcelona have shine offensively, but spark real defensive doubts
The arrival of Hansi Flick has been truly transformative for Barcelona, elevating them to one of the best teams in LaLiga following the departure of Xavi Hernandez. With Raphinha, Fermin, and Lamine Yamal on offense, they have managed to demonstrate great scoring power. However, the departure of Iñigo Martinez disrupted all defensive plans, and the coach is still struggling to find consistency in the 2025-26 season.
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Flick’s decision to play Ronald Araujo against Chelsea showed that the Uruguayan is not at his best, constantly making blunders such as the sending-off that threw the game off balance. Although Eric Garcia and Pau Cubarsi are usually the consistent choices, both tend to leave a lot of space behind them that is exploited by their opponents, something that Iñigo did not suffer from as he was a corrective center back.
Instead of opting for a change of strategy and leaving behind the high pressure, coach Hansi Flick remains firm in his commitment, which does not seem to be entirely effective after losing Iñigo Martinez. With just two victories of the five games in the Champions League, the Culers fans are calling for a radical change in defense, as the team continues to fail to shine against the big contenders, and its season could end without titles if it continues at this pace.
