Eric Garcia and Marcus Rashford ever-presents for Hansi Flick
Injuries have put a bit of a dampener on the start of the season for Barça, making things more difficult for Hansi Flick to manage. The coach has often needed to adjust his selections and as such, only two players have featured in the 16 competitive games played to date, namely Eric Garcia and Marcus Rashford.
Eric, a mainstay in defence
The Catalan defender showed he was a very valuable asset in defence for Flick last season and he has kicked on further this season. He has played in all four defensive positions in the 12 LaLiga and four Champions League games so far. When playing right back, he has been able to support the attack, while remaining solid in defence and providing key cover. He has played both central defensive positions, right and left, showing he can bring out the ball and provide defensive solidity when needed.
What's more, Flick has also used him at left back from time to time, a new position for him. When Alejandro Balde picked up an injury, Gerard Martín became the starter, but the blaugrana coach used Eric Garcia to play the final minutes of the games against Real Sociedad and Newcastle, aiming to stymie the attacking potential of the opponents' wingers.
1,211 minutes played and no cards
Eric Garcia has proved an assured option in every context, and he has now made 13 starts, coming off the bench in the other three games. He has also scored one goal and has not received a card in the 1,211 minutes he has played. Impeccable.
Rashford, a permanent fixture
When it comes to Marcus Rashford, the Englishman has become an important figure, in part due to many injuries in the attacking options, and hasn't he made the most of the opportunity. Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski, plus Fermín and Dani Olmo, have all been injured at some point and they can all fill the attacking positions. However, Marcus Rashford has always been available to the coach and has quickly adapted to life at Barça.
Making the most of the opportunity
The player on loan from Manchester United has responded by putting up numbers. He has 13 goal involvements, almost one per game. He has scored six goals (four in the Champions League and two in LaLiga) and provided seven assists (six in LaLiga and one in the Champions League). The absences and his performances means he leads the way for most consecutive starts with 10. Many might think that Eric Garcia and Marcus Rashford could be substitutes for this current iteration of Barça, but the number 14 and 24 are way too important to be missing from Hansi Flick's team at present.