After injured playmaker Dani Olmo was seen training with his Barcelona teammates on Friday morning, there was some hope that he could be back in time for their next fixture against Leganes. However manager Hansi Flick has ruled out Olmo out of contention.
Following the international break, Olmo picked up a hamstring injury against Osasuna, and was ruled out for two to three weeks. In theory, that would see him out until the end of next week, but he could be back sooner, although a school of thought also suggests they should keep him back.
“He won’t play tomorrow, and it’s better for him to stay here at home after training these last two days. He won’t play or travel,” Flick declared to the press.
Barcelona are coming off a run of five games in 13 days, and one of the key questions facing Flick is how they manage their fitness over the final stages of the season in the face of fatigue. He gave little away before their trip to Leganes at 21:00 CEST on Saturday.
“As a coach, I’m not confirming anything. We have to keep in mind that changes will have to be made because there are a lot of games, every three or four days. We think about that. It’s important to give the players some rest from time to time.”
He was full of praise for Director of Football Deco for his job in putting together the fitness team this summer.
“I think the important thing is to have a good physical foundation. Deco has done an incredible job because he’s brought in a spectacular staff. Everyone knows what we need and what the players need. We’re in a good spot right now. When you see a player tired, the next day you look at their stats and they’re fine. I’ll see which players I’ll field tomorrow.”
On Wednesday against Borussia Dortmund, Ansu Fati returned to action for the first time in four months. Flick was not willing to commit to further minutes for him though.
“We’ll have to see. We’ll see. I can’t say if Ansu can start or if he’ll get minutes. I can only say that he’s training at a high level right now. That’s what we want to see from him.”
Hansi Flick: “Leganés? If you see the results, you can see that they beat us and Atlético Madrid. They know how to defend, and have depth. It will be a difficult game.”
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) April 11, 2025
On the whole, he was satisfied with the contributions of the entire squad though, with the likes of Ferran Torres, Gavi and Fermin Lopez all making the difference in recent games.
“It’s very important. A team isn’t about the starting eleven, but about the 26 players we have. The key to everything is that we’re a team, and anyone who can play can contribute. There is no break, nothing, which is the best for the coach. Everyone knows what they have to do.”
