After a gruelling 5-2 win against Real Betis at La Cartuja, Barcelona are now gearing up for an important week, with the Catalans slated to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in midweek.

However, the club were hit with a major blow in the Betis encounter , with three of their defenders – Eric Garcia, Gerard Martin and Jules Kounde – picking up fresh knocks.

All three are now doubtful to feature against PSG in midweek, which, coupled with Andreas Christensen’s injury, leaves Hansi Flick extremely short-handed in central defence.

De Jong may have to operate as a centre-back. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

As reported by Diario SPORT , Flick could be forced to rely on makeshift options in his bid to solve the problem in central defence ahead of the PSG game.

After a long injury layoff, the Dutchman is finally back in contention for Barcelona, with Flick earlier confirming that the midfielder is being trialed in a centre-back role .

De Jong has played as a centre-back during his time at Ajax and even at Barcelona under Ronald Koeman before. Therefore, he can certainly become a makeshift solution.

If Martin, Kounde and Garcia all miss out, de Jong can be an option to start alongside Pau Cubarsi at the heart of the four-man backline.

From a tactical formation and squad depth perspective, "De Jong could return savior as Barcelona face a major selection dilemma ahead of PSG clash" carries substantial tournament implications for international seeding and domestic campaign momentum. Coaching staffs are heavily weighing high-pressing efficiency (PPDA), defensive transition pace, and fixture fatigue management.

Tactical analysts monitoring Champions League metrics emphasize that squad adaptability and set-piece execution will likely dictate outcomes in high-leverage knockout environments. Real-time match telemetry and tracking data continue to inform managerial decision-making.

Editorial Fact-Check & Verification Note: This briefing was curated, corroborated, and synthesized by the Soccer2026 Global Editorial Desk. Readers following "De Jong could return savior as Barcelona face a major selection dilemma ahead of PSG clash" are encouraged to review the full primary source coverage linked below for complete historical context, direct quotes, and official statements.