Barcelona's Summer Signing Avoids the 'Olmo Case' Repeat
Barcelona's recent summer signing, Joan Garcia, has avoided the 'Olmo case' scenario that plagued the club last year. The 'Olmo case' refers to FC Barcelona's reliance on the long-term injury of a player to register a new signing in La Liga, similar to how Dani Olmo was registered last year using Andreas Christensen's injury-enforced absence.
In January, the situation became problematic when both Olmo and Pau Victor were unregistered by La Liga, forcing the club to seek the Higher Sports Council (CSD) for their registrations. However, according to SPORT (https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/habra-caso-olmo-joan-garcia-122417641), there is no risk of a repeat of the 'Olmo case' with Garcia.
Barcelona's Use of the Long-Term Injury Rule
Barcelona once again utilized the long-term injury rule, allowing them to use up to 80% of the injured player's salary. However, the situation differs from Olmo's case. With Ter Stegen and Garcia, the numbers fit correctly, ensuring Garcia's presence for the entire season without unregistering Ter Stegen during his recovery.
Garcia's Injury and Recovery
Garcia suffered a knee meniscus injury last month and underwent arthroscopic surgery. The 24-year-old is expected to be out for 5-6 weeks, making it unlikely that he will return in time for the Clasico on 26 October, as initially hoped (https://barcauniversal.com/barcelona-summer-signing-unlikely-to-recover-in-time-for-el-clasico-report/).
Ter Stegen's Persistent Back Problems
Meanwhile, Ter Stegen, the German goalkeeper, underwent reoperation at the end of July to address persistent back problems. He is expected to return with medical clearance by late November or early December (https://barcauniversal.com/injury-update-when-will-barcelonas-sidelined-players-return-to-action/).
