Flick has just two training sessions to solve Barcelona’s several selection dilemmas for Getafe encounter
· Yahoo Sports
Hansi Flick has little time to prepare Barcelona for their return to La Liga, with the German coach set to have only two full-squad training sessions before Saturday’s meeting with Getafe.
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Notably, Barcelona host Jose Bordalas’ side at Camp Nou on October 10, ending a long international break that began after the club’s convincing 3-1 victory over Sevilla, a win that feels like a long time ago.
Now, the task for the Barcelona manager is to bring his international players back into the rhythm of club football while making several important decisions over his starting XI.
Barcelona vs Getafe: Flick finally gets his squad back
Flick welcomed four players back into normal training on Wednesday, with Joao Cancelo, Jules Kounde, Marc Bernal and Xavi Espart working alongside their teammates.
Joan Garcia and Frenkie de Jong also participated for part of the session, while Iker Rodríguez and Hamza Abdelkarim were called up from the reserve team to help complete the workout.
The final group of internationals will return on Thursday.
Several Barcelona internationals will return with excessive work load. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)
Notably, the likes of Pau Cubarsi, Rodri, Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo all started Spain’s 2-1 victory over Croatia.
From this lot, only Cubarsi completed the entire match, while Fermin Lopez came on during the second half.
Barcelona will also welcome Anthony Gordon back after the winger remained an unused substitute during England’s 3-0 win over the Czech Republic.
Barcelona team news: Flick faces several selection dilemmas
Those returning players leave Flick with plenty to assess but very little time to do it.
The goalkeeper position is one of the immediate questions, with the manager needing to decide whether to retain Dominik Livakovic or make another change.
Eric Garcia’s fitness will also determine whether he can continue at right-back, although recent reports have suggested that he is ready to play.
Hansi Flick faces major selection dilemma ahead of Getafe clash. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
There are decisions to make further forward too. Flick must consider whether Rodri and Pedri remain together in midfield, while the battle involving Karim Adeyemi and Anthony Gordon could determine another attacking position.
Raphinha is another major consideration. After his minor injury with Brazil, Flick could decide that the Brazilian needs a rest rather than risk overloading him immediately after the break.
Hansi Flick has no room for error against Getafe
The two training sessions will therefore be less about introducing tactical changes and more about assessing who is physically ready to start.
International players will arrive at different stages of recovery, while others have had limited competitive minutes.
Hence, Flick must balance that workload with the need to start strongly after the break.