Dani Olmo has a new injury: a strain in the soleus muscle. Olmo’s return to training will depend on his progress, as he is set to miss the next game. After the registration crisis, the midfielder was finally able to play for the Blaugrana again, but the new injury means he will have to wait again before stepping onto the pitch.
An important part of Barca’s attack
Dani Olmo is probably Barcelona’s best-attacking midfielder this season. His getting sidelined will immensely drop the quality of Flick’s side. He is a player who can dribble through tight spaces and score from awkward angles when the team needs him the most.
How can Barca cope
Hansi Flick will have to find alternatives to maintain the quality of his attack in Olmo’s absence. The most obvious choice seems to be Gavi, who is back to his best after returning from injury. Excellent performances against Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid earned him a place in the starting 11 against Getafe. However after Getafe scored their equalizer and changed their tactics to sit back and defend in a low block, Gavi struggled to influence the game as creating chances from such narrow spaces isn’t his best attribute.
Another option for Flick is to let La Masia lend a helping hand. There are many promising talents on Flick’s bench and in the Barca Atletic squad that can provide squad depth. Dani Rodriguez is probably the most prominent name. He is an extremely versatile player who can play on both the wings and as an attacking midfielder. He is dangerously good at finding spaces that do not exist and dribbling past defenders with ease to create chances for himself or his teammates.
