In a disappointing turn of events for all fans with FC Barcelona tickets, their newest signing, Dani Olmo, will be likely out for a few games.
This comes a fortnight after Dani Olmo debuted on the third game of the season and came out with a player-of-the-match performance.
Injury Situation
Spain forward Dani Olmo will miss Sunday’s UEFA Nations League game against Switzerland and return to Barcelona early with a minor knee problem.
On Thursday, Olmo, 26, came off in the 82nd minute of the European champions’ goalless draw against Serbia in Belgrade.
The good news for all with FC Barcelona tickets who are wondering about the severity of the injury is that it is not too serious, and he can recover in time.
Barça, which has won all four of its La Liga games so far this season, will return to league action at Girona next Sunday, and coach Hansi Flick hopes to have Olmo available.
Olmo joined Barça this summer from RB Leipzig for €55 million ($61m) but missed the first two games of the campaign because he was not registered due to the club’s problems complying with LaLiga’s financial fair play rules.
He was eventually registered and debuted in the 2-1 win at Rayo Vallecano, scoring the winning goal. He was again on target in the 7-0 victory over Real Valladolid before the international break.
Barça are short in midfield, where Olmo has been used by Flick. Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, and Marc Bernal are all injured, while Oriol Romeu and Ilkay Gündogan left the club in the transfer window.
Flick is also dealing with injury issues at the back, with center-backs Ronald Araújo and Andreas Christensen out for the foreseeable future.
Further forward, Ansu Fati is expected to be available after the international break and will add further depth to the attack after returning from a season-long loan at Premier League side Brighton.
Hansi Flick Has Trust in De Jeong
According to a recent report from Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona and Hansi Flick remain confident in Frenkie de Jong’s abilities despite the ongoing uncertainty surrounding his contract renewal.
De Jong, who currently has a contract with the club until 2026, has yet to show clear signs of wanting to extend his deal. While the club is eager to secure his future, progress is lacking.
It wasn’t smooth sailing for De Jong in the first few years. Under different managers, those with FC Barcelona tickets are under the impression that De Jong was often underutilized and succumbed to management pressure.
The situation with De Jong mirrors similar contract challenges other players face, although there is no immediate concern. In November 2023, Barcelona presented an offer to De Jong that fell within the club’s financial framework.
However, this offer was lower than his current contract, which had already been deferred in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. His contract was initially set to expire in 2024 but extended to 2026 due to the financial constraints of the pandemic.
Barcelona’s interest in renewing De Jong’s contract remains strong, with the club hoping that he will return to full fitness soon. Flick, in particular, holds great trust in the Dutch midfielder, who is 27 years old.
However, De Jong has been unable to train since suffering a right ankle injury in April, which has added to the complications surrounding his future at the club.
Reports suggest that De Jong is currently in discussions with Barcelona regarding a potential extension and deferral of his wages, but no significant developments have occurred.
The club’s management is reportedly losing patience as they await a response from De Jong’s camp. The player’s lack of communication has left the board in a state of confusion, as they are keen to resolve the matter.
It is also worth noting that the relationship between De Jong and the Barcelona board has been somewhat strained due to the club’s past attempts to sell him and ongoing issues related to his salary.
As things stand, De Jong may wait until the end of the current season to make any decisions regarding his future at the club.
The constant financial struggle has taken a toll on the club’s players, eventually resulting in several key figures leaving the club despite being potential starters. Fans with FC Barcelona tickets also await the closure of the Financial Fair Play crisis.
New Prospect Waiting for Barca Debut
Hansi Flick needs more options in the midfield pivot position early in his stint at FC Barcelona. There was already no reliable option for this position in the Barcelona squad last season, and the only natural pivot, Oriol Romeu, also left in the last summer transfer window.
In such a situation, Flick decided to bet on the youth and played Marc Bernal as his team’s pivot during the first few matches of the season. The youngster really shone whenever he got the chance to play, but it was quite unfortunate that this good run of form was cut off unexpectedly with an ACL tear, which will keep him out of action for the rest of this season.
With Bernal’s injury, it was expected that another Barcelona youngster, Pau Prim, would get the chance to be Flick’s midfield pivot for the upcoming games. However, as SPORT has reported, there have been no reports of Prim being called up to train with the first team, despite him shining whenever he plays for Barcelona Atletic.
One reason for his lack of prominence identified in this report is his contractual situation. Prim’s current contract with Barcelona runs until 2025, and he has yet to reach a renewal agreement with the club.
One factor that could be keeping him from reaching an agreement is the player’s continuity with his old representation firm, despite the interest shown by Jorge Mendes and other big firms.
Meanwhile, Prim has consolidated himself as a key player for Barcelona Atletic. He had more of a secondary role in the team last season, but this year, he is one of the starters, along with Guille and Unai.
He also has a clear role in the team, i.e., that of a positional midfielder who controls the game’s tempo with his one or two-touch passes.
FC Barcelona tickets for the UEFA Champions League games will be available soon.
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