Flick in trouble: uncertainty over the fitness of Barcelona star for the Paris clash
A risky option
Doubts surround the fitness of Barcelona defender Gerard Martin ahead of Tuesday's clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the third round of the Champions League league phase.
The problem is persistent swelling in his ankle after a heavy stamp against Real Betis at the end of last week.
Spanish newspaper "Sport" report that medical examinations ruled out any structural injury to Martin. They found no internal damage, but the swelling in the ankle remains.
Whether he starts or even makes the squad looks set to go down to the wire.
Hansi Flick faces a tricky tactical puzzle in the French capital. His defensive line is threadbare, with Eric Garcia, Jules Koundé and Andreas Christensen all out.
Those absences leave the first team with just five defensive options. The staff have responded by calling up Álex Campos, the promising Barcelona Atlètic centre-back from Aitona, named in an official squad for the first time.
Martin's participation rests on a joint call between the medical staff, the technical staff and the player himself, weighing the risks in the short and medium term. Garcia will be sidelined for the coming month, and Koundé's chances of making next Sunday's Clásico look very slim. That only sharpens the need to protect whatever defensive cover remains.
Given all this, Barcelona must ask how worthwhile it is to risk the player at this early stage of the Champions League. Qualification pressures are not yet pressing, so the staff can assess the situation calmly before deciding.
Martin, for his part, boasts a fine record for physical durability. He has not suffered a single muscular or joint injury across four seasons in the Barcelona shirt, between the reserves and the first team.
His only previous setback was a wrist problem during his time with Spain's Under-21s.
The defender is a model professional who looks after his body and sticks to the discipline demanded at the top level. His rapid development tells its own story, as does the standing he enjoys with Flick.
