The defense has been one of Barcelona’s biggest issues both in La Liga and in the Champions League. It’s been an issue manager Ronald Koeman has been unable to fix.
The personnel does not seem to matter as the Dutchman has tried a number of different lineups but the team continues leaking goals. Eric Garcia was brought in but he’s had his share of mistakes.
Ahead of their Champions League match against Dynamo Kyiv, Koeman will without Garcia as he picked up a red card in the loss to Benfica and Ronald Araujo who suffered an injury with Uruguay while on international duty.
Clement Lenglet set to come to Barcelona’s rescue
Given the two absences, according to Diario AS, Koeman is going to turn to Clement Lenglet to partner Gerard Pique in the backline. However, he’s not without his own issues as the Frenchman has been dealing with a nagging injury the past couple of the weeks.
The injury has not forced him to the sidelines as he’s still been available but it could hamper his performance on the pitch.
In any respect, the injury has been enough to hamper how he’s been used. He’s only played 96 minutes so far this season and the only time he’s started was in the game against Getafe. Other than that, he’s featured in the final minutes of a game.
Koeman spoke about Lenglet and his lack of playing time prior to the 3-1 win over Valencia.
"“First of all it’s a technical decision,” Koeman said. “It’s true he’s also had minor injuries and hasn’t been able to train normally. He’s a very serious player who gives his all but he has to wait for his chance and grab it when it comes knocking.“He’s never complained and I have no complaints. He’s a professional and an example of a player who needs to train and be ready.”Source: Barca Blaugranes"
If Lenglet is unable to go, Oscar Mingueza and Samuel Umtiti are two other options. Mingueza has a likelier chance given the lack of faith in Umtiti. Koeman could also opt for Frenkie de Jong but with the team desperate for a win, it might not be the best idea — even against Dynamo Kyiv.
Barcelona have lost both their Champions League games 3-0. They sit at the bottom of their group and need a win to avoid near elimination. When it comes to Europe, they’re leaking goals. It is going to take more than Lenglet to fix their issues and they need to fix them sooner rather than later.