Another setback for Ansu Fati, Barcelona's eternal promise-one that many have foreseen but few expected. The young forward pulled a muscle in his right hamstring while training in the pursuit of stability in the Catalan squad. This setback has possibly put him out of the pitch for about a month and puts in jeopardy the so-long-wished continuity of Fati, testing the challenge that will be in front of the coach Hansi Flick when building a competitive team without such a promising talent.
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Fati and the Labyrinth of Injuries
At the age of only 21 years, Ansu Fati has already developed quite a bit of injury baggage. That is only cruel on the youngster, who came back to Barcelona after his loan period at Brighton, with full hopes of once again taking back his rhythm and confidence. A hope he had left those physical issues behind and could take up again to where he was on an upward trajectory. But this new injury stops that process once more and puts out in bold a disturbing fragility that affects player and club alike.
So now the question in the air is if Fati will finally get to settle at Barça. His seven outings this season, without scoring, insinuate that he is still far from a good rhythm, and this new absence also puts one more obstacle in his way. It's about breaking what seems an infinite cycle for Fati if he is ever to prove his worth in Flick's team.
Flick and Barcelona on High Alert
Ansu Fati's injury isn't an isolated case, but rather joins the already long list of roster problems. Other than Fati himself, Yamal, Lewandowski, Ferran Torres, Araújo, Ter Stegen, Christensen, and Marc Bernal are all fundamental pieces the coach Hansi Flick is going to lose. Having so many important names on the injured list, he is bound to find changes and other game strategies in order for Barcelona to be on par with big games, specifically the Champions League and La Liga.
In all, six games are coming up next month, including two in the UEFA Champions League group stage versus Brest and Borussia Dortmund. Ideally, Fati would be there, adding a new offensive option into the lineup, maybe bringing his trademark skill and element of surprise. But with this new injury, that contribution will have to wait, and Barcelona are increasingly under pressure to find alternative solutions in an injury-stricken squad.
Fati's Physical Fragility
For a player who always had the potential to become one of Barcelona's stars, these constant injuries are a shadow Fati needs to shake off-and fast. Since the beginning of his career with the first team, expectations have been high-and rightly so. He had all the ingredients to make him an instant hit: technical skill, speed, and intelligence on the attack. Yet, the recurring injuries have inevitably called into question his physical stamina and his capability of sustaining performance at high-intensity levels.