Injuries keep piling up in Barcelona's back line, and the problems run deeper than the sheer number of bodies missing.
Andreas Christensen, Eric Garcia, Jules Kounde and Txus Espart are all sidelined. Gerard Martin is nursing some pain and needs rest, leaving Pau Cubarsi as the only centre-back who is 100% fit. That forced Hansi Flick into an experimental defensive line against Deportivo Alaves, with Brian Farinas filling in at right-back, Frenkie de Jong dropping into the centre and Joao Cancelo keeping his spot on the left.
Spanish newspaper "Sport" revealed that the defensive crisis continues to trouble Flick, who offered no optimism about when the injured players will return following the emphatic win over Alaves.
If anything, the German coach sounded a warning. "We do not yet know when they will return, and we are working on it. There is positive progress in their condition, but the situation is not the best for us," he said, before putting it bluntly: "We have to hold on through the next two matches."
"I hope one or two players will return," he added. "Christensen is close to returning to training, but we do not want to take risks. After that, we will have a two-week period to recover. We will see how we deal with the matter, as we need all the players until the end of the season."
A difficult situation before the Champions League
Just as Barcelona rediscovered their best level after the two defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, another brutal week lies in wait before November's international break.
First come Aston Villa, hosted next Tuesday at the Spotify Camp Nou. Then comes the trip to face Atletico Madrid on Sunday at the same time.
The "Riyadh Air Metropolitano" will stage a battle for the top of the Spanish league, with just two points separating the Catalans from their Madrid rivals.
Radio station "Cadena SER" paints a bleak picture: there is no optimism inside the Barcelona dressing room about recovering any of the injured players before the Champions League fixture.
Christensen, Eric Garcia and Kounde may all be edging closer, but barring a major surprise the trio will not be ready to face Aston Villa.
Espart's return is a far longer wait. He is not expected back before the end of 2026 or the start of 2027 at the earliest.
One of the three defenders nearing fitness could just about make the trip to Atletico at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. Even then, he would lack match sharpness and would not be in any condition to start.
Eric Garcia feels an improvement and will try to recover in time. Flick, though, made his stance clear on Saturday after the win over Alaves: no rushing for short-term gains, no risking any player before his recovery is complete. The priority is to thin out the injury list one body at a time.