Barcelona coach Hansi Flick insists his team can cope with an increased workload and that he will make no excuses despite having to deal with a lengthy injury list but has joined a growing list of high-profile footballing names calling on UEFA and FIFA to make alterations to a packed schedule.
Barça opened the season with five successive wins in LaLiga before tasting defeat for the first time under Flick against Monaco in the Champions League in midweek.
The return of European football brings two games a week for Barça, which will test the depth of their small squad in the coming weeks, starting with Sunday’s league game at unbeaten Villarreal.
“When we started the season I said no excuses and we have no excuses,” Flick said in a news conference on Saturday. “Every third or fourth day we have matches, but I think we are able to manage it.
“The players have a big, big load so it’s good to have other players, new legs, fresh legs on the pitch.
“We’ll manage it [at Villarreal] and I’m sure that everyone brings their best performance. We have a team and I think we showed in the matches in LaLiga how good we can play.”
The football calendar has been in the spotlight this week since Manchester City midfielder Rodri suggested players are considering striking due to the amount of matches they are being asked to play.
Barça are one of many teams suffering from injuries at the start of the campaign, with Ronald Araújo, Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Fermín López and Dani Olmo all currently sidelined.
“They have to take care — UEFA and FIFA — about the players,” Flick said. “For the players, it’s not the best situation. We all love football, love good performance, so if you want the quality on the highest level, I think we have to reduce it.
“We have seven players out [injured]. I never count those players because I focus on the players who can play, but what I see from Frenkie he’s doing well, we’re taking care of him because the situation was not easy — I can say the same to Gavi.
“So what I see I’m really happy with this, I see them all in the rondo [passing drills], it’s good. They need time, we take care about them.”
In addition to the injuries, Barça will be without Ferran Torres at Villarreal as he serves a suspension for getting sent off in the last match, but Flick says Pedri and Marc Casadó will both be available despite missing training on Saturday.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Diego Kochen, who was called up by the United States earlier this month, will be out for around a month, ruling him out of contention for the UMSNT’s fixtures against Panama and Mexico in October, the first under new coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Despite the absences, Flick is looking forward to facing a Villarreal side who have won three and drawn two of their first outings in LaLiga.
“We want to play football,” Flick said. “I know we lost the match against Monaco, but today what I showed [the players], how we defended with nine outfield players in 4-4-1, was really good.
“We show them how we want to manage them against a very good team in Villarreal, it’s something to do with the self confidence the players have.
“This is what I like in Spanish football, every team can play football, every team loves to have the ball, every player loves to have the ball. This is what I love about our team, everyone knows the game, which position, which space they have to go in.”
Flick also defended goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, who came in for criticism after the Monaco loss because his short pass led to the dismissal of Eric García in the 10th minute.
“I think it’s one of the strengths from Marc, not only to save the ball but also with the ball, when he have the ball on the feet,” he said.
“This is one of his strengths, this is also our style of play, we want to build up not only with the long ball, we want to play football and it starts from him.
“Maybe there was a mistake, but it’s normal, you make mistakes, I make mistakes, it’s normal. We have to analyse it and hopefully we give the players the right order for next time but it’s in the past and we’re looking forward to the next match.”
