Barcelona escaped St. James’ Park on Tuesday night against Newcastle United with a draw that will taste rather sweet, after the Magpies imposed themselves for the majority of the game. As tends to be the case for Hansi Flick though, he was left to count the cost of the result after the match.
The Blaugrana looked close to breaking point physically in the second half against Newcastle, with a number of players feeling their hamstrings during breaks in play. Marc Bernal was forced off in the 75th minute feeling the back of his legs, and the same happened with Ronald Araujo just 10 minutes later. On top of that, Eric Garcia did not start the game due to muscle discomfort before the match.
Eric Garcia undergoes tests in Barcelona
The case of Garcia is the most concerning for Flick. The versatile defender is his most used player of the season, and Flick confirmed that he had been planning to start him in England, but the injury ruled him out. Sport say that Garcia has undergone Barcelona today to rule out a serious injury, and been diagnosed with a minor strain. It is not an injury per se. Dependingn on how it evolves between now and Sunday, he could be available to face Sevilla, but the likelihood is he could be on the bench on Sunday, with a view to starting next week.
Bernal and Araujo substituted due to cramps
There is more positive news regarding Bernal and Araujo. The Catalan daily explain that both were taken off due to cramp, rather than an actual injury. Both should in theory be available to face Sevilla, provided they get the necessary rest to recover. Bernal also confirmed he was free of injury after the match.
🚨 JUST IN: Marc Bernal has confirmed that he’s NOT injured. “All good, just cramps”. [@Nilsola10] ✅ pic.twitter.com/qk29hgRUk2
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 10, 2026
It was illustrative of the creaking squad depth at Barcelona though, with 18-year-old Xavi Espart forced on for his debut in a difficult situation. Currently, Gavi, Andreas Christensen, Frenkie de Jong, Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde are also out injured.
