“We paid the price,” Hansi Flick told the media after Barcelona cruised to victory against Osasuna in a 3-0 win, referencing an injury to Dani Olmo. Both the Blaugrana and Los Rojillo were frustrated at the decision to rearrange their match on Thursday night due to the lack of rest for their players after the international break.
Olmo is set to miss two to three weeks of action with a muscle issue, which will keep him out of games against Girona (H), Atletico Madrid in the return leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final (A), Real Betis (H), and likely the first leg of their Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund (H). In the worse of those scenarios, he would also miss Leganes (H) and the return leg against the German giants.
As reported by Sport, Olmo was not the only injury concern for Barcelona during the game. Pablo Torre replaced Frenkie de Jong at half-time, and contributed an excellent pass for Fermin Lopez during Barcelona’s third goal. However the Dutchman came off with a muscle strain, and with the change a precautionary measure. Flick said he was optimistic that de Jong would be available for Girona on Sunday.
“I hope not. It’s not like Dani Olmo’s case; I think he’ll be able to play on Sunday. We’ll have to wait and see, but it looks good.”
Jules Koundé: “I think it’s disrespectful to the clubs and the players to schedule a match on a date like today. We’re not robots. If we want to keep putting on this show, we need a rest. Whether it’s Barça, Madrid, or Osasuna.”
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 27, 2025
The Catalan daily go on to say that it is not expected to be an issue, but it is a sign of the physical toll on Barcelona. With Marc Casado now out for the majority of the season, and Olmo missing, Gavi likely becomes the prime candidate to play alongside de Jong and Pedri, with only Pablo Torre and Fermin Lopez as natural alternatives. Eric Garcia has also operated as a holding midfielder at times, but Barcelona’s depth will be tested over the next couple of weeks.
