Is there anything worse in the regular football season than the incessant breaks for international football?!
Just when teams build up a head of steam in terms of form, they’re stopped in their tracks for a fortnight, and more often than not, players that are called up by their respective national teams come back with a niggle or more serious injury.
Fortunately for Barcelona, this current break has come at a good time for Joan Garcia.
The keeper, who was in sensational form before he picked up his injury, is believed to be on the verge of a return, and the fortnight where no club games are taking place gives the 24-year-old another opportune window to put in the work to make sure he’s as good as new when Barca take on Athletic Club a week on Saturday.
Whilst Wojciech Szczesny has been a relatively able deputy in Garcia’s absence, he’s clearly not at the latter’s level and, arguably, can transfer his nervousness to the back four at times.
Garcia is so commanding in his area, composed on the ball and with superior distribution, that his confidence can immediately settle the defence.
That’s a priceless commodity to possess as a goalkeeper, and why he’s already become so important to his team-mates and Hansi Flick.
The head coach will have to drill into the back four that they must do better in terms of utilising the high defensive line correctly, but Garcia’s presence and ability to sweep up behind them should calm everyone down.
Before his absence, he had played seven matches, conceding just five goals and keeping three clean sheets, and since then, Barca have conceded 17 goals in nine games in all competitions, with no clean sheets.
There couldn’t be a more stark example of exactly why getting Garcia back as soon as possible is imperative.
After the date with Athletic, the Blaugranes face Chelsea and Atletico Madrid in two of their next three matches, and these are games which could have a real impact on the next few weeks of the season.
Showing the best face in the Champions League, particularly after the embarrassing showing at Club Brugge, is needed, and a win against Diego Simeone’s side could set Barca up nicely for the festive period.
A date with Garcia’s former side and local rivals Espanyol kicks off 2026 by which time, we all hope the custodian has continued to show why Barca signed him in the first place.
