Five key Barcelona players remain injured ahead of the season

The 2024-25 season is yet to officially kick off and Barcelona already have a long list of injuries to deal with.

Needless to say, this comes as a massive challenge for the new manager in charge, Hansi Flick, who is planning a massive tactical overhaul at the club.

The German coach has already overseen the Blaugrana in their pre-season tour in the United States and has enjoyed a fine start to life on the sidelines.

Yet, it is safe to say that the official games are a challenge of their own especially given that he will have to accommodate several bigger names and handle a larger squad.

Five players out

Heading into the Joan Gamper Trophy which marks the start of Barcelona’s campaign, Flick is without the services of five key stars.

Club sources have told Barça Universal that Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo, Pedri and Ansu Fati are all unavailable due to fitness setbacks and are not training with the team.

Gavi is regularly seen working hard on the sidelines, attempting to bring forward his return to action. The youngster, however, is still a considerable distance from playing with the team as he continues to recover from an ACL tear.

His compatriot Pedri, meanwhile, left the field injured in Spain’s clash against Germany in the Euros. He will miss the league curtain raiser against Valencia but is expected to return in time for match day 2.

Ronald Araujo, the team’s defensive mainstay, underwent surgery recently for a hamstring injury and is expected only to return in late 2024.

The situations of Frenkie de Jong and Ansu Fati, on the other hand, are both unclear and there is no set deadline for their return.

In the Dutch star’s case, he has missed his deadline to return and there is serious concern over the delay in his return. The Catalan club even consider a sale for the 27-year-old.