Since FC Barcelona faced the severe injury of their priority keeper, Ter Stegen, the club has been in question as to who would succeed the German keeper in the role. Given Ter Stegen's unquestionable legacy at the club, the former Monchengladbach keeper had been Barca's no-brainer starter between the sticks for quite long. Thus, with only prodigy keeper Inaki Pena as a backup option left, it looked certain that the club to do a replacement signing.
Hansi Flick planning to hand the newest signing his FC Barcelona debut
As was expected, the club went on to proceed with veteran keeper Wojciech Szczesny for the role. Given the keeper's illustrious profile, having benched star keeper Alisson during his Roma time and replaced Buffon in Juventus' starting XI, choosing Szczesny could have been one of the safest options, which Barca did. Moreover, as reports had suggested, the player has been impressive in the training sessions, indicating his mettle in the role already.
Recent reports on the player's Barca tenure sound very impressive; as though the player had been registered with La Liga before, Szczesny is now available in the UCL as well. In fact, as per reports from Mundo Deportivo, Barca boss Hansi Flick is planning to hand him his club debut soon. As earlier reports had suggested that the 34-year-old would be available for squad selection after the international break, Flick plans to start Szczesny against Sevilla.
From FC Barcelona's perspective, having the former Juventus star in their goal could be a significant upgrade in their keeping role. While prodigy keeper Inaki Pena has had only four goals conceded so far in his 5 appearances, the player hasn't been convincing between the sticks. Otherwise, as well, given Barca's important fixtures scheduled after the international break, Szczesny's debut against Sevilla could have him better prepared for the upcoming games against Bayern and Real Madrid.
Overall, Flick's plan to give Szczesny important game time against Sevilla could be a crucial decision in Barca's favor. Moreover, the player's presence in the camp would ensure prodigy Inaki Pena pushes his limits, competing for a place alongside veteran Szczesny in the starting XI.