Nobody saw this coming. Xavi Espart's injury forced Hansi Flick to reshuffle his defensive options, and out came a tactical card the German had kept hidden all summer.
The blow to Espart threw Barcelona's plans at right-back into chaos. He had been filling the role consistently while Eric García recovered and Jules Koundé battled back to full fitness.
Everyone expected a conventional fix. Instead, sources at "Mundo Deportivo" inside the club say Flick is preparing a bold emergency plan built around a name that had not crossed anyone's mind.
The trump card: Brayan Fariñas
Young midfielder Brayan Fariñas is the man strongly tipped to fill the gap. He hasn't played a single official minute this season, yet he won Flick's complete trust across pre-season.
A Benicarló product who graduated from La Masia in 2018, Fariñas made the most of every minute training with the first team to turn the tables. His standout displays and relentless work rate halted plans to send him to Girona last summer, after an exceptional campaign with Barcelona Atlètic, where he caught the eye with his consistency and his superb ability to drive into the box and create.
The Birmingham test: the proof
Converting Fariñas into a right-back wasn't a spur-of-the-moment idea. Flick used him mainly as a central and attacking midfielder during the summer friendlies, but tested him specifically at right-back against Birmingham City on 31 July, when he came on for Espart himself.
Twenty-eight minutes was all he needed to make his case. He played with great tactical intelligence and showed astonishing flexibility that convinced Flick of his versatility. He also featured in the triangular tournament in Udine against Nottingham Forest and Udinese, plus the Joan Gamper Cup against Al Ahly, though in his natural midfield role, taking his friendly tally to 5 matches and 198 minutes.
Flick had praised him publicly before the third-round La Liga clash with Rayo Vallecano, saying he had "impressed me greatly in pre-season, an excellent and highly talented player, fully fit and with absolute commitment".
The number 4 shirt: boundless trust
The German coach admitted it would be tough for Fariñas to earn minutes in such a crowded midfield. Even so, the club sent a resounding message of trust at the close of the summer mercato by registering him as a first-team player and handing him the number 4 shirt he inherited from Ronald Araújo.
That decision confirms Barcelona are backing his talent for the long term, even if he has spent most of the season so far on the bench or out of the squad because places are so scarce.
Now Espart's injury could be the golden chance the "forgotten player" has been waiting for. Turn from a promising talent into the emergency solution that saves the Blaugrana's season.