Hansi Flick has been handed a boost ahead of Barcelona's clash with Atletico Madrid on Sunday. The coach could welcome back Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen, with a squad ravaged by injuries.
According to Spanish newspaper "AS", both Garcia and Christensen took part in a portion of group training on Friday. That opens the door to medical clearance on Sunday and a place in the matchday squad, barring any setback, though starting the game looks a stretch.
For Flick, it comes as a timely lift. His defence has been stretched thin in recent weeks, with injuries piling up one after another.
Garcia stands the better chance of making an impact. A rectus femoris injury kept him out for just three weeks, while Christensen has been sidelined for a month and a half with an adductor problem.
Jules Kounde, however, remains unavailable. The left ankle trouble lingers. Initial estimates pencilled in a week's absence and even flagged the Clasico as a possibility, yet he has now been out for three weeks.
Flick will therefore have to lean, at least from kick-off, on the same makeshift back line that has carried the team through recent weeks. Bryan Farinas slots in at right-back, Pau Cubarsi and Gerard Martin pair up in central defence, and Joao Cancelo takes the left.
Garcia and Christensen stay on the bench as options, ready to be called upon against Atletico in a clash with top spot in La Liga on the line.