Barcelona dressing room amazed by veteran defender; call him ‘Beckenbauer’ in training

Andreas Christensen has earned an unusual nickname within the Barcelona dressing room, with teammates reportedly comparing the Danish centre-back to Franz Beckenbauer after being impressed by his performances in training. 

According to a report from SER, the defender has developed a reputation among his colleagues for the quality he displays on the training pitch, despite struggling to maintain regular match fitness.

The praise comes at a time when Christensen is working towards his return from a lengthy injury absence. 

Christensen’s training performances impress Barcelona teammates

The nickname ‘Beckenbauer’ shows the regard in which Christensen is held within the squad. 

In fact, those familiar with his work have been particularly emphatic in their assessment, stating, “Christensen is phenomenal.”

Barcelona dressing room calls Christensen ‘Beckenbauer’ in training. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

The report adds, “He impresses in every training session. That’s a fact. 

“But given what he shows in training, Flick always says: ‘Leave this boy to me!'”

Flick continues to believe in the Danish defender

Hansi Flick is understood to remain convinced that Christensen can make an important contribution once he is fully fit. 

The report describes the defender as “a true Maradona” in training, which shows the level of admiration he has attracted.

It must be remembered that Christensen has been sidelined since suffering a left thigh injury against Sevilla on September 19. 

Christensen is expected to return against Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images)

Barcelona confirmed a strain to the rectus femoris in his left quadriceps on September 20, without setting a definitive return date.

There has been progress ahead of Sunday’s Atletico Madrid fixture, as Christensen completed part of Friday’s training session with the group, putting him in contention to receive medical clearance and join the squad. 

For Flick, the Dnae’s return would provide much-needed relief to a defence that has been affected by injuries in recent months, which prompted back-to-back defeats against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

Notably, even if Christensen is given the clearance, we cannot expect Flick to directly slot him into the starting XI against a team as demanding as Atletico Madrid.