Mundo Deportivo: Xavi Esparto out for nearly two months, Flick turns to academy for emergency cover

Mundo Deportivo reports that Xavi Esparto's injury in the Clásico has forced Flick to call upon Balde as cover. Before the Paris Saint-Germain match, Balde had only played in one game this season. With Xavi Esparto sidelined for almost two months, and despite Gómez and Christensen's returns drawing closer, Flick is not ruling out emergency solutions from the youth academy.

Currently, Flick has four senior defenders available: Cubarsí, Gerard Martín, Cancelo, and Balde. The coach is also considering positional adjustments. In a press conference, he explained that De Jong and Rodri can occasionally play as centre-backs, and he also views Brian Fariñas—the only squad player yet to make an appearance—as a potential right-back option.

Guillem Víctor and Landry Farré are natural choices

In recent matches, Flick has added Álex Campos to the squad. Barcelona Atletic also has other players who could join the first team's training sessions in the coming days. The right-backs in the reserve squad are Guillem Víctor and Landry Farré. Both, like Álex Campos, are part of the captain's group.

Guillem Víctor is the brother of former Barcelona player Pau Víctor and has featured in all matches on the right wing. He is versatile and has played in more advanced positions as well. His style is most similar to Xavi Esparto. Landry Farré can play all four defensive positions. This season he has primarily played on the left, though he recently appeared as a centre-back. He possesses outstanding physical attributes.

Other players could also be called upon by Flick. One is Jordi Pesquer. This full-back trained with the first team during preseason and has since alternated between the U19 squad and Barcelona Atletic. The club wants him to gain more playing time. Another option is Josué Caicedo on the opposite flank, who joined on loan from Liga de Quito with a purchase option. He is characterized by his pace and explosive power, making him more similar to Balde than to Xavi Esparto.

If additional centre-back cover is needed, Hafiz Gariba has made an impressive start to the season. Flick watched him during early preseason sessions, but illness sidelined him, and Pesquer took his place in subsequent preparation. The youth academy believes he has the potential to step up to the first team.

Two other centre-backs are in the squad. Javi Castro has yet to make an appearance. The other is Juvenal Owusu. Muscle issues forced him to train separately at the season's start, but he has resumed full team training recently and could soon be available. The club views him as having good potential, though he still needs further development.