FC Barcelona suffered a significant blow with Frenkie de Jong's injury at a crucial point in the season, just as the Dutch midfielder was re-establishing himself as an indispensable player in the team's lineup. Coach Hans Flick now finds himself forced to reorganize the midfield once again.

The club announced that De Jong will be out for five to six weeks, a period that coincides with a crucial phase on all fronts. In La Liga, the competition with Real Madrid appears to be intense until the very last moments.

In the King's Cup, the task seems complicated, but the locker room still believes in the possibility of a comeback. As for the UEFA Champions League, the team is anticipating a highly awaited round of 16 clash against the titleholder, Paris Saint-Germain or Newcastle United.

De Jong's injury came after he had regained his best form, having scored his first goal of the season in the last match against Levante at Spotify Camp Nou.

Flick had previously reorganized the midfield during Pedri's absence for seven matches, and he is now required to repeat the process by finding a player to perform the role of a central pivot. Three names stand out as potential options: Marc Bernal, Eric Garcia, and Marc Casado.

Mark Bernal is showing increasing levels of physical and technical performance, making him a strong candidate to replace De Jong. The young player was a starter in the last match and scored a good goal against Levante, having formed a midfield duo alongside De Jong.

The player is distinguished by his abilities in transitions and physical coverage, although Flick has been cautious with his playing minutes and training loads following the long injury he suffered, from which he has fully recovered.

Eric García is considered an important option, especially in major matches due to the great confidence he receives from the German coach. Although his primary position is center-back, he has played in midfield in six matches this season under Flick's leadership, and he has also been tried in the right-back position.

However, relying on him in the midfield may deprive the team of his services in the defense axis, which puts the coaching staff in a difficult equation in distributing roles.

Despite his recent decline in presence, Marc Casado remains a reliable option, providing the team with significant energy in the midfield and the ability to cover large areas of the field.

During Pedri's absence, he started in only two matches against Oviedo and Mallorca at Spotify Camp Nou, without securing a consistent starting role.

The name of Tommy Marquez, a midfielder for Barcelona Athletic, also emerged. He has previously appeared with Flick and may get additional minutes during De Jong's absence due to his physical and technical similarities with him.

Despite being ready to take on the responsibility, his primary place remains with Juliano Belletti's team, and he is well aware of that.