The international break ends this week, and Barcelona are preparing to resume their La Liga campaign with a tough match against Atletico Madrid, before facing Los Rojiblancos again in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Barcelona have suffered numerous absences over the past month due to injuries, but it seems the Catalan club has finally received some good news ahead of the crucial period of Hansi Flick’s season.
Barcelona’s recent injuries
Jules Koundé suffered a hamstring injury on March 3rd during the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Atletico, and this injury significantly weakened Barça’s right-back position.
On the same day, left-back Alejandro Balde was also injured, forcing Flick to deploy right-back Joao Cancelo on the left flank.
Eric Garcia suffered a hamstring injury in his right leg two weeks ago, forcing him to rest for the last four matches. Frenkie de Jong has been sidelined since February 26th with a torn biceps femoris muscle in his right leg sustained during a Barcelona training session.
Rafinha also suffered a muscle injury while on international duty with Brazil, and Andreas Christensen is still recovering from a cruciate ligament injury.
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Three Barcelona players to return before La Liga match
According to AS, Flick is expected to have three players available in time for the La Liga match scheduled for April 4th at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium: Jules Koundé, Eric Garcia, and Alejandro Baldé.
The three players have already begun training on the pitch during the current international break and are expected to be available by the end of the week.
❗| Andreas Christensen is expected to be out for almost another month due to the partial ACL tear he suffered in his left knee at the end of December. [@jbatalla7] #fcblive 🏥 pic.twitter.com/IjdSLZlELp
— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) March 30, 2026
Frenkie de Jong’s Return Date for Barcelona
De Jong needs more time to recover, and it’s likely he’ll be available for Flick’s squad in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, scheduled for Wednesday, April 8th at the Camp Nou.
The Dutch international is expected to start on the bench, with the possibility of coming on for a few minutes in the second half if needed. The derby against Espanyol the following Saturday will be an opportunity to prepare him for a starting role in the second leg at the Wanda Metropolitano on April 14th.
Barcelona’s Absences Against Atlético Madrid
Unless there are any developments during the international break and the days leading up to the Atlético Madrid match, Barcelona will only have two players unavailable against the capital club: Rafinha (who will return at the beginning of May at the earliest) and Christensen (whose return date is still unknown).
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It’s worth noting that Barcelona leads La Liga by four points over their closest rivals, Real Madrid, and hopes to overcome Atlético Madrid in the Champions League to face the winner of the Arsenal vs. Sporting Lisbon match in the semi-finals.
