Surprise call-up for the Paris Saint-Germain v Barcelona match

To compensate for the absences.

Hansi Flick has turned to Barcelona Atletic defender Alex Campos for the Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain, with the Catalans' backline stripped bare by absences.

Injuries to Andreas Christensen, Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia left Flick short of bodies, and the reserve-team centre-back gets his first official call-up to the senior squad. Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim also returns.

Born on 2 February 2008 in the town of Aitona in the Segria region, Campos is 18. He started out with Atletic Segre before joining Barcelona's academy in the summer of 2021.

This has been the season it all clicked. Campos played his first official match for Barcelona Atletic at the Saint Andrew stadium in 2025-2026, then nailed down a place in the reserve side, becoming one of the key men in Giuliano Haus Beletti's defence and taking on a leadership role within the group.

He started Saturday's 2-1 win over Utebo as Barcelona Atletic made it five straight victories, proof enough of the faith the coaching staff have in him.

At 185 centimetres, Campos is strong in the air and comfortable building play from the back, with accurate passing and a calmness about his game. He has also headed in a goal this season.

Flick first had him training with the first team back in October 2024, and last July Barcelona announced a new contract until 2029, with the option of a further season.

Now comes the chance to prove it at the top level, with Barcelona scrambling to patch up a defensive injury crisis before a European night against Paris Saint-Germain.