Hansi Flick staring at a major selection puzzle before Barcelona face Copenhagen | Barca Universal

"FC Barcelona will face Copenhagen this Wednesday with a place in the top eight of the Champions League at stake. Having managed to secure a victory away to Slavia Prague last week, the Blaugrana have an opportunity to sneak into the top eight and avoid going through an additional playoff round to qualify for the Round of 16. Leading up to the game, though, manager Hansi Flick has some major selection decisions to make, with the most concerning one coming in midfield."

"After all, Barcelona will be without Frenkie de Jong, who is suspended for the match. The injury to Pedri further complicates matters for the Blaugrana manager. Now, according to SPORT, everything indicates that Dani Olmo, who scored against Real Oviedo, will occupy Pedri's position in midfield, with Fermin Lopez expected to operate as the No. 10. As for the player to fill the De Jong role, Flick has three options."

"A few days ago, this seemed the most obvious option, but recent team dynamics have raised more doubts. Firstly, Flick appears happy with the partnership formed by Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia in central defence. Moreover, Gerard Martin has seen his performances drop in his recent appearances as a centre-back. Nonetheless, the option of moving Eric into midfield is a strong possibility, even though Barça looked much better in the second half vs Oviedo after he moved to centre-back after starting at right-back."

FC Barcelona faces Copenhagen on Wednesday with a top-eight Champions League spot at stake after their win at Slavia Prague. Frenkie de Jong is suspended and Pedri is injured, prompting selection dilemmas for manager Hansi Flick. Dani Olmo is expected to fill Pedri's midfield position, while Fermin Lopez is slated for the No. 10 role. Flick has three options to replace De Jong: move Eric Garcia into midfield despite his recent pairing with Pau Cubarsi in central defence, recall La Masia graduate Marc Casado who excelled as a holding midfielder when De Jong was absent, or consider Marc Bernal after limited minutes vs Oviedo.

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