Garcia eyes Barcelona return while Havinha likely starts on bench

Joan Garcia, Spain’s goalkeeper at Barcelona, is nearing a first‑team comeback, while Brazil forward Havinha is expected to begin the upcoming league match on the bench. Both players have missed recent training sessions because of injuries, but their recovery paths now diverge.

Garcia joined Barcelona last summer, helped secure back‑to‑back La Liga titles and, in his second season, kept goal in the first seven league games. He left the field with a right‑knee discomfort during the sixth‑round clash with Las Palmas and missed the seventh‑round visit to Sevilla, also being omitted from the Spain squad for the Nations League.

Reports say Garcia recovered well and took part in the team training on 7 July, making him a strong candidate for the 10 July La Liga eighth‑round encounter with Atletico Madrid.

Havinha, Barcelona’s captain, has scored 14 goals in eight league appearances this season but withdrew from Brazil’s squad after a muscle issue was diagnosed as swelling in his right hamstring. He may join training on 9 July, yet coach Hansi Flick is expected to keep him on the bench for the Atletico game.

Meanwhile, Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, sidelined by a right‑knee ligament tear, also returned to Barcelona’s training, signalling a strengthening squad ahead of the fixtures.