BarcelonaXavi Hernández could no longer count on Eric Garcia this Sunday against Getafe because the Catalan center -like Jordi Alba and Frenkie de Jong- will serve a series of warnings for having seen the fifth yellow card against Celta, but Martorell’s could also be lost the last league match against Villarreal at the Camp Nou. The Barça defender injured the thumb of his right hand due to a fall he suffered during the match against the Galician team on Tuesday at the stadium. To repair the injury, Eric underwent surgery this Friday to undergo a simple operation by Dr. Xavier Mir under the supervision of Barça’s medical services.
The operation will mean that the former Manchester City player will put an end to his first season as a Barça player. He would only be forced to play in the last matchday against Villarreal if it were strictly necessary: that is, if Xavi Hernández’s team had not yet secured second place in the standings. In this case, he should play with a protective club in his right hand, as Ronald Araujo did to face Real Madrid in the semifinals of the last edition of the Spanish Super Cup. In a statement issued by Barça, this possibility is left open: “the player is low and the evolution will mark his availability”. That is, it will be decided on the fly.
In fact, taking part in the next edition of this competition is Barça’s last goal in the two remaining league games to end the season. In addition to ending with the best possible sensations in a season as complicated as it is disappointing, closing the competition as second place means playing in the next edition of the Spanish Super Cup, a fact that the club’s financial area is crying out for to guarantee -a pinch that ranges between six and eight million euros depending on whether you win the competition or stay halfway.
a difficult season
Eric Garcia has had a difficult season in his first year as a Barça player. His entry into the team, despite starting as a starter, was subject to criticism from the start, when he was sent off just in the second day of the league against Athletic Club. The negative inertia that has accompanied the team throughout this year has not helped the acclimatization of the Catalan center, Barça cradle and who refused to renew with Manchester City in order to return to Barça.
In total, Eric has taken part in 36 games as a Barça player, being the starter in the vast majority of duels in which he has played: 31 times he has started.
