Barcelona coach Hansi Flick insists his workforce can address an elevated workload and that he’ll make no excuses regardless of having to cope with a prolonged harm record however has joined a rising record of high-profile footballing names calling on UEFA and FIFA to make alterations to a packed schedule.
Barça opened the season with 5 successive wins in LaLiga earlier than tasting defeat for the primary time beneath Flick towards Monaco within the Champions League in midweek.
The return of European soccer brings two video games per week for Barça, which is able to check the depth of their small squad within the coming weeks, beginning with Sunday’s league recreation at unbeaten Villarreal.
“Once we began the season I stated no excuses and we’ve got no excuses,” Flick stated in a information convention on Saturday. “Each third or fourth day we’ve got matches, however I believe we’re in a position to handle it.
“The gamers have an enormous, massive load so it is good to produce other gamers, new legs, recent legs on the pitch.
“We’ll handle it [at Villarreal] and I am positive that everybody brings their greatest efficiency. We now have a workforce and I believe we confirmed within the matches in LaLiga how good we will play.”
The soccer calendar has been within the highlight this week since Manchester Metropolis midfielder Rodri steered gamers are contemplating placing as a result of quantity of matches they’re being requested to play.
Barça are considered one of many groups affected by accidents at the beginning of the marketing campaign, with Ronald Araújo, Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, FermÃn López and Dani Olmo all presently sidelined.
“They should take care — UEFA and FIFA — concerning the gamers,” Flick stated. “For the gamers, it is not the most effective scenario. All of us love soccer, love good efficiency, so if you need the standard on the very best degree, I believe we’ve got to scale back it.
“We now have seven gamers out [injured]. I by no means depend these gamers as a result of I concentrate on the gamers who can play, however what I see from Frenkie he is doing nicely, we’re caring for him as a result of the scenario was not straightforward — I can say the identical to Gavi.
“So what I see I am actually proud of this, I see all of them within the rondo [passing drills], it is good. They want time, we take care about them.”
Along with the accidents, Barça will probably be with out Ferran Torres at Villarreal as he serves a suspension for getting despatched off within the final match, however Flick says Pedri and Marc Casadó will each be obtainable regardless of lacking coaching on Saturday.
In the meantime, goalkeeper Diego Kochen, who was known as up by the United States earlier this month, will probably be out for round a month, ruling him out of rivalry for the UMSNT’s fixtures towards Panama and Mexico in October, the primary beneath new coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Regardless of the absences, Flick is wanting ahead to dealing with a Villarreal aspect who’ve gained three and drawn two of their first outings in LaLiga.
“We wish to play soccer,” Flick stated. “I do know we misplaced the match towards Monaco, however in the present day what I confirmed [the players], how we defended with 9 outfield gamers in 4-4-1, was actually good.
“We present them how we wish to handle them towards an excellent workforce in Villarreal, it is one thing to do with the self-worth the gamers have.
“That is what I like in Spanish soccer, each workforce can play soccer, each workforce likes to have the ball, each participant likes to have the ball. That is what I really like about our workforce, everybody is aware of the sport, which place, which area they should go in.”
Flick additionally defended goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, who got here in for criticism after the Monaco loss as a result of his quick cross led to the dismissal of Eric GarcÃa within the tenth minute.
“I believe it is one of many strengths from Marc, not solely to save lots of the ball but in addition with the ball, when he have the ball on the toes,” he stated.
“That is considered one of his strengths, that is additionally our model of play, we wish to construct up not solely with the lengthy ball, we wish to play soccer and it begins from him.
“Perhaps there was a mistake, nevertheless it’s regular, you make errors, I make errors, it is regular. We now have to analyse it and hopefully we give the gamers the correct order for subsequent time nevertheless it’s up to now and we’re wanting ahead to the following match.”