#defensive-depth

#defensive-depth

Barcelona have been hit with an untimely setback just hours before their final game of 2025, with a late injury disrupting Hansi Flick's plans. According to a report from SPORT, the Blaugrana suffered a last-minute problem during their final training session ahead of the trip to Villarreal, leaving Andreas Christensen out of the squad travelling to La Ceramica. The issue first came to light when it was noticed that Christensen was missing when the Barcelona delegation arrived in Villarreal. His absence immediately raised concerns, especially given his recent involvement in the team.

The Boston Bruins bolstered some of their D-corps depth on Tuesday, plucking blueliner Vladislav Kolyachonok off waivers from the Dallas Stars. The 24-year-old Kolyachonok is a left-shot D who has appeared in 85 NHL games across parts of five seasons - including 11 games this year with Dallas. He scored a goal and added two helpers in those 11 games with the Stars, logging an average of 12:37 of ice time per contest.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is set to return to the lineup Saturday night when the Maple Leafs take on the Edmonton Oilers, easing concerns after his scary exit earlier in the week. The veteran defenceman had been dealing with a leg injury that initially appeared serious after he needed assistance leaving the ice during Thursday's game against the San Jose Sharks. At the time, there was real uncertainty surrounding how long Toronto might be without one of its most reliable blue-liners.

His ceiling wasn't stratospheric, but the hope was that he could morph into a solid NHL blueliner. The Leafs gave him as many opportunities as they could. He even logged some top-pairing minutes for a short while. But he just didn't live up to expectations. At times, defensive gaffes turned into goals. Other times, he just wasn't the sort of high-end defenseman the Maple Leafs needed to contend for a Stanley Cup.

"Right now it does not look good," sources told Diario Sport, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding Farré's availability. The Martorell-born defender had recently returned from a right ankle injury that sidelined him at the start of the season, making this development especially concerning. Farré had been included in Hansi Flick's senior squad training sessions in recent weeks, filling in amid a string of injuries that have affected both established first-team players and young talents from La Masia.

The defensive tackle was signed after an excellent 2024 with the Eagles in a rotational role to become the latest centerpiece of the Patriots' revamped roster. The Louisiana Tech standout had two sacks in the Super Bowl, catapulting him atop free agency charts. After he originally was slated to sign with the Panthers, the Patriots undercut the deal and landed him for Vrabel's defense.

Against the Los Angeles Chargers and Chicago Bears, the initially formidable rush defense gave up an average of 150 yards per game. Most alarmingly, the per-rush figure rose two full yards, from 3.6 to 5.6. In those two contests, Dan Quinn's club looked much closer to the worst rush defense in the league than to the best. What happened, and can it be fixed?

"We have to carry three catchers [on the postseason roster] because of where Will [Smith]'s at. Obviously with Tommy [Edman]'s uncertainty, Max [Muncy] coming back recently, having the extra infielder Hyeseong is huge," Roberts said. "And as far as how I'm going to use them, you know to run off the bench, to potentially take an at-bat off the bench, but there's a lot of lefties in that lineup. But Hyeseong, it's good to have him on the roster. And I feel he's going to help us out at some point."

"At the end of the day, I want to get back to playing in the NHL," Bear said. "Hopefully, if I stay positive, (and) play well, I can get a chance to play. That's just all I'm working for."

Gomez would improve Milan There is no doubt that he is good enough to start for them, and he could prove to be an excellent addition for the right price. Milan are looking to add more depth to the defensive unit, and they have been linked with multiple players in recent days, as per Gianluca Di Marzio. Gomez would be the ideal acquisition for them.

Arsenal's move for Cristhian Mosquera was one of those deals that suddenly comes out of the blue. There were tentative links a while back, but nothing massively serious, and then all of a sudden an offer had gone for the defender.