Source: Live broadcast
Live broadcast, October 9. Aspen reported that last season, Frick arranged Inigo Martinez and Kubasi to partner as central defenders eight times in the first ten official games.
There were only two exceptions, one to rest Cubasi for Villarreal and another to rest Inigo in Game 10. That game was also Barcelona's first official defeat. This season, Barcelona has used four pairs of central defenders: Araujo Cubasi (five games), Garcia Cubasi (two games), Garcia Christensen (two games) and Araujo Christensen (one game).
Frick said this is not a problem he worries about, and he would choose the right player according to the characteristics of the opponent. But last season, his primary task was to make sure that Inigo-Cuba was unshakable for this partner and succeeded. The impact of Inigo's absence was huge. He was a leader on the field, and in the case of his absence, Kubasi lost the ring of light. First, he had to change his position. Though his outing was still great, he encountered more problems on the left side of the road. More importantly, without Inigo's guidance, he had problems on the stand and lost confidence in the confrontation.
Frick hoped to give him more responsibilities, but he started so hard that Frick "hidden" him in the match against Paris Saint-Germain and replaced him with Eric-Garcia against Seville to improve outcomes.
Frick may consider rebuilding the defence line from the Catalan. Christensen has partnered with Garcia twice, and has partnered with Alacho once. The Danish should have had more opportunities in the absence of Inigo, but so far he has played only a secondary role.
The problem with Barcelona may not only be the health of the midfielder, but some disconnection can be felt. Kubasi said on Sunday that pressure starts in the front pitch. In Frick's system, if someone is not involved in oppression, the defense collapses. However, in addition to this, the midfielder's position still lacks leadership. In this case, it is difficult to stay competitive in the league, let alone the performance on the European pitch.