Flick's dilemma: three problems troubling Barcelona before the Atletico clash
Battle of options throws Flick's calculations into disarray
Barcelona head to the Metropolitano on Sunday to face Atletico Madrid in matchday 12 of the Spanish league.
Hansi Flick's side arrive top of the table on 30 points, two clear of second-placed Atletico, and they want to keep that cushion intact.
According to Sport, Flick faces a couple of selection headaches before naming his strongest XI. Two positions in particular are causing the doubts: right-back and holding midfielder.
Fariñas or Eric García at right-back?
Brian Fariñas was faultless in a position that isn't his natural one. Should Eric García recover in time for the Atlético clash, Flick faces a big call. Who takes the right-back slot to keep tabs on Álex Baena, whose constant movement and sharp technical and physical condition make him such a worry?
Or might the Barcelona coach be forced into picking someone with greater pace on that flank, should Simeone opt for that weapon? Whoever starts also inherits the job of shackling Ademola Lookman, who hasn't hit last season's heights yet remains capable of rediscovering his form at any moment.
Merit tends to drive Flick's selections, and Fariñas answered him in the best way possible: two outstanding showings against Alavés and Aston Villa.
The German's trust in Eric García, though, is total. If he sees the defender is ready, his chances of starting are high, despite missing the last four matches with a muscle injury.
Jules Koundé, the third option, looks all but ruled out. The French defender has yet to fully recover from an ankle sprain, and his role in the side has waned of late too.
Bernal or De Jong in the holding role?
Midfield poses the other major doubt. Rodri's injury has struck just as Frenkie de Jong returns to fitness, and Flick has never stopped leaning on the Dutchman.
Marc Bernal looks the most logical option. He stepped in for Rodri after the break during the crushing 3-0 win over Aston Villa.
The coach also turned to Bernal against Paris Saint-Germain, the match in which he chose to rest Rodri.
De Jong, meanwhile, has started to see more of the pitch in recent weeks. Flick handed him a start against Alavés, though at centre-back to rest Gerard Martín, while in the Champions League he dropped back to the bench before coming on for the final 20 minutes in place of Pedri.
Flick's habit of starting De Jong in the toughest matches could prove decisive when he settles on who fills this role.
Gordon or Ademi on the left wing?
Lamine Yamal is a key, indispensable element on the right wing, with Raphinha up front. That leaves the left as the only area of doubt in attack, and the scales are tipping increasingly towards Anthony Gordon at the expense of Karim Adeyemi.
Flick leaned on Gordon for the big matches. The two clashes with Paris Saint-Germain, the Clasico, the Galatasaray game. The one exception came at La Cartuja, where the coach preferred the German.
Adeyemi hasn't scored or provided a decisive assist since 13 October, when he netted Barca's final goal in the resounding 4-1 win at Galatasaray's stronghold.
