Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick is giving consideration to affording a first-team chance to an up-and-coming member of the club’s defensive ranks over the weeks ahead.

That’s according to Diario Sport, who point to Hafiz Gariba as the player in question.

The situation at the heart of Barcelona’s backline has of course changed over the course of recent days. After a strong start to the season from an individual standpoint, Andreas Christensen suffered an injury setback during a La Liga victory over Sevilla.

The Dane, as a result, is expected to be unavailable for selection for a period potentially extending to six weeks.

Already short on options at centre-back, this has left Hansi Flick and his staff with little choice but to seek out reinforcements from within in Catalunya’s capital.

And according to Diario Sport, after he spent time in the senior setup at the Ciutat Esportiva during pre-season:

‘Hafiz Gariba is one of the names that sounds to make the leap. Flick knows that he can use Gariba if he needs him at some point. Due to his speed in short spaces, he is an ideal profile for the philosophy and style of the German coach.’