Here it is, the eve of the season opener at Mallorca and FC Barcelona players Joan Garcia, Marcus Rashford, Bardghji, Gerard Martin, Marc Bernal and Wojciech Szczesny are all still not registered with La Liga. Between now and matchday, this situation should change. Obviously, Garcia is being made the top priority, although Rashford is pretty important too.
This is especially true with Robert Lewandowski being a major injury doubt.
Season Opener FYIs
Kickoff: Saturday August 16, 7:30pm, Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
Barca Preview Material: Team News Starting Lineup Prediction
Google’s Result Probability: FC Barcelona 70% Draw 18% Mallorca 12%
Barca Team News
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick admits that he is not happy about this. Nor should he be. And hence, we chose a photo down below there where he looks, unhappy.
“You can imagine that I’m not happy about that, but I know the situation and I believe in the club,” Flick said to his weekly Friday press conference, earlier today.
“We have to wait till tomorrow [Saturday]. I think it was the same situation last season also. We just focus on what we can change, what we have in our hands and as for the other things, I believe in the club.”
It is expected that Garcia will have his registration go through in time, and Flick made it clear that he’s the side’s first choice goalkeeper. Wojciech Szczesny is #2 and the current long term injury absentee, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, is the third choice.
“It is a decision from everyone at the club to sign Joan because he’s the future of the club,” Flick said.
“What I can have seen in training, he’s a really great goalkeeper. And, for me, [Szczęsny] is the right person behind him because he has a lot of experience and also he supports him a lot.”
And in the final team news item, Dani Olmo joins Lewandowski as a fitness doubt for this one.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter