Hansi Flick loses both right-backs he has used this season, and his centre-back cover is thin.
Barcelona will be without Eric García and Jules Koundé when they face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, ESPN reports.
García's absence is the longer one. He has been ruled out for up to four weeks with a thigh injury picked up in Barcelona's 5-2 win at Real Betis on Saturday, so he also misses Sunday's Clásico against Real Madrid. Koundé sprained his ankle in the same game and will be assessed before Madrid's visit to Spotify Camp Nou in LaLiga this weekend.
Right-back is the first problem. The two men are the right-backs Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has used this season, so he is without either of them. Balde could also deputise at right-back, as could Cancelo and Espart, who have both played at left-back this year.
Centre-back is thinner. García's injury leaves Barcelona short there, and Andreas Christensen is also out with a thigh issue. Only Pau Cubarsí and Gerard Martín remain fit among the squad's centre-backs. Rodri and Frenkie de Jong have played there before, and Flick has confirmed that De Jong, who returned to training last week, could be an option at the back.
There is some good news. Captain Raphinha came off the bench at Betis and will be available in Paris, and De Jong returned to the matchday squad at the weekend.
Karim Adeyemi is the name Nigerian readers will look for. The German international was born to a Nigerian father and a Romanian mother, and joined Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund this summer. Soccernet.ng, which calls him a former Super Eagles target, says he should come off the bench in Paris. He has scored in both of his Champions League appearances for the club, and both times he came on from the bench. In the 4-1 win at Galatasaray on matchday two, he entered with 25 minutes remaining and scored the fourth goal.
Barcelona have won all 11 of their matches in all competitions this season. They have won every one of their nine LaLiga games, matching the best start ever recorded in a Spanish top-flight season, a record Real Madrid set in 1968-69.
PSG manager Luis Enrique's side come into the game after a comeback at Strasbourg. They trailed 1-0 at half-time and won 3-1 there on Saturday. Before that, they beat Manchester City 4-2 in the Champions League on 14 October. Soccernet.ng notes that PSG have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last five matches, and Barcelona will look to exploit that.
Referee Michael Oliver of England takes charge at the Parc des Princes, with kickoff at 21:00 Paris time on 20 October.
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