Eric Garcia injury update lifts Barcelona mood ahead of Sevilla clash

Medical tests carried out on Wednesday confirmed that Garcia has not suffered an injury, with reports indicating the centre-back was dealing only with a minor muscular overload. The update is a welcome relief for Barcelona as they continue to juggle a demanding schedule across Europe and Spain.

Garcia's availability for Sunday's La Liga match at Camp Nou against Sevilla FC remains uncertain, but the defender has not been ruled out of the fixture. Much will depend on how he responds over the coming days and whether coach Hansi Flick decides to rotate his squad.

Barcelona's hectic run of matches has already forced Flick to think carefully about player workloads. Speaking after the draw in Newcastle, the German manager admitted his team are feeling the strain of a packed calendar.

"It's like that at the moment. We have to rest, so the job for the players now is to rest and prepare well for the next game we have on Sunday," Flick said.

"We have some days to prepare well. We have no days off, but at the end it's normal. When you play at this level with Champions League and La Liga, it's normal that you have these games every three or four days."

Flick added that managing recovery between matches will be crucial as the season enters a demanding phase.

"It's normal and we have to adapt and we have to make things good between these days."

With Sevilla next on the schedule, Barcelona will be hoping Garcia's positive medical update allows them to maintain defensive stability while navigating another crucial week in both domestic and European competition.