Barcelona arrive at the first Clásico of the season with a growing injury list and a defensive plan that is becoming harder to manage by the day. The biggest absence is Dani Olmo, who will be out for around three to four weeks after suffering an adductor injury in the left leg during the 4-2 defeat to PSG at the Parque de los Príncipes on Tuesday.
That timeline means Olmo is expected to miss the Real Madrid visit on Sunday, October 25, and he is not the only concern for Hansi Flick. The Barcelona medical room has also been complicated by the situations of Eric García and Jules Koundé, two players whose availability could shape how the team lines up against its biggest rival.
Barcelona’s defense is under pressure
The injury problems became more serious in the win over Betis, when Eric García suffered a muscle injury in the rectus femoris of his right thigh. In the same match, Koundé picked up a left ankle sprain. On Friday, Koundé trained separately from the group, which left his status for the Clásico in doubt and made him effectively a major question mark ahead of the match.
For Barcelona, the timing is far from ideal. The club leads LaLiga with a perfect record, but it now has to protect that position while dealing with a depleted back line. Flick has little margin for error if Koundé cannot recover in time, especially with the defense already stretched by the absences and knocks accumulated over a difficult week.
A strong Madrid side adds to the challenge
Real Madrid will also arrive with confidence. They beat Sevilla 4-1 in LaLiga and Leipzig 4-1 in Champions League play, giving them momentum before the trip to face Barcelona. That makes the context even sharper for a home side that has won four straight league matches but is now facing one of the season’s biggest tests with several key pieces missing.
Barcelona have nine wins in nine matches to start the campaign, and they remain in first place with six points of breathing room at the top. Even so, the injury list is starting to affect the conversation around the team. With Olmo sidelined and Koundé still not fully clear, the first Clásico of the season could force Flick into another defensive reshuffle at exactly the wrong time.
