Hansi Flick received a major boost ahead of the Getafe clash as Joan García participated in part of Barcelona’s group training session, making the Spanish goalkeeper a candidate to return to the matchday squad for Saturday’s La Liga fixture.
According to Mundo Deportivo, García completed the first phase of his return without any noticeable complications. However, the coaching staff will not finalize his inclusion until monitoring his response to increased workloads during the remaining two sessions, particularly the final training on Friday.
The 25-year-old suffered a bone edema in his right knee during the match against Racing Santander on September 16, following an awkward movement while attempting to catch a ball going out of play. He was substituted at halftime and remained sidelined from group training for nearly three weeks.
García missed the subsequent fixture against Sevilla as well as the second half of the Racing match, before the international break provided sufficient time to complete his recovery program. Should he experience no pain under increased loads, he will be favored to start in goal against Getafe; otherwise, Flick will rely on Dominik Livaković, given Wojciech Szczęsny’s fall down the goalkeeping hierarchy in recent weeks.
Conversely, Raphinha’s availability remains uncertain after failing to join group training following his early departure from the Brazil national team camp. The Barcelona captain continued working individually in the gym, although medical tests have ruled out any severe injury.
The winger felt pain and minor edema in his right thigh during Brazil’s second friendly against Australia, leaving the Seleção camp as a precautionary measure. While he will attempt to join team training before Saturday, Flick’s “zero risk” policy could lead the manager to start him on the bench or grant him full rest if he is not 100% fit.
Barcelona will remain without Frenkie de Jong for the Getafe match despite his partial return to training for the first time in 136 days, as he has yet to receive medical clearance following an internal ligament tear in his right knee. Andreas Christensen also remains out with a left thigh muscle injury, while Roony Bardghji continues a lengthy recovery process following an ACL tear in his right knee sustained last August.
Meanwhile, Eric García has overcome muscle overload and is training without restrictions, though he will require a protective face mask. Jules Koundé, João Cancelo, Marc Bernal, and Xavi Espart have all returned as normal. La Liga leaders Barcelona—who hold a perfect record from seven matches—host Getafe on Saturday evening at Camp Nou before entering a demanding fixture list that includes clashes against Galatasaray, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid.
