A defense on the wire

One day after facing Sevilla, and one week away from receiving Paris Saint Germain, the Barça defense is in a critical situation at a peak of the season. The blaugrana club confirmed yesterday that Ronald Araújo suffers a sprained left ankle. Although the medical services did not give details on the time of absence that the Uruguayan will be, the central defender is practically ruled out for the next three games.

One more hit for a very played line. In addition to Araújo, Gerard Piqué, injured for a long time, is still out. Sergi Roberto, right back, will also be out for at least one more month due to his relapse in Granada. But there is more. Sergiño Dest did not play in Seville due to muscular discomfort. He has not felt full for a month and enters and leaves the lineups and calls. Also, Junior doesn't count for Koeman, so the left back is in the hands of Jordi Alba's physique. While, Umtiti barely played in a quarter of an hour against Betis despite Araújo's injury. He came from playing two games in a row and another complete crash could put his left knee in danger …

TThe recommendations of the coach, Ronald Koeman, must still resound in the ears of Carles Tusquets, president of the Management Board, and of the candidates for the presidency (Joan Laporta and Toni Freixa); and Ramon Planes, technical secretary. who strongly requested the signing of Èric García. Only one of the candidates, Víctor Font, supported the coach backed by his good relationship with the Manchester City leaders. Font assured that the price of signing the international until the end of the season did not exceed 230,000 euros and put it in the hands of the club. But Laporta and Freixa rejected his signing so that his hiring was not understood as an electoral point for Font.

It remains to be seen now how Koeman will organize his drawing with a view to the Sánchez Pizjuán game. Umtiti and Lenglet have an advantage over Mingueza in the center of the defense, but it cannot be ruled out that the youth squad plays, even as a winger. Koeman is concerned about Sevilla's aerial game, that he has excellent headers in Koundé, Diego Carlos, Fernando, En Nesiry or De Jong; and he could put someone taller than Sergiño Dest, that is if the Dutchman is in a position to play. Then will come the game against PSG, in which Dest will be important to stop a faster forward, with Neymar and Mbappé. Another option is for Koeman to repeat with De Jong in the center of the defense, as he improvised in the Betis field, but it would be to load the automatisms that have worked in the core in the last month.