Hansi Flick offers Cubarsi update and confirms defensive plans for Osasuna
The coach explained his thinking for Thursday’s match
Barcelona will cut their international break short by a couple of days to face Osasuna at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium on Thursday, in a rearranged La Liga fixture due to the tragic death of first team doctor Carles Miñarro three weeks ago.
The Blaugrana have a number of questions regarding their lineup given some injury and availability issues for many of their stars, and Hansi Flick has a bit of a selection headache for this one.
One of the biggest questions is at the back, with Ronald Araujo already ruled out due to his long trip back from Uruguay duty and Pau Cubarsí a major doubt thanks to the ankle injury he picked up while playing for Spain last week, leaving Flick with very few defensive options available.
But the coach seems to have already figured things out, as he revealed in a press conference on Wednesday that Eric García and Iñigo Martínez, who had been dealing with a slight knee issue, will start at center-back with Cubarsí on the bench.
Flick also confirmed that Cubarsí’s injury isn’t serious and he probably will be ready for Sunday’s clash with Girona, but the coach doesn’t want to risk anything on Thursday and will choose to give his young defensive star a few more days to get fully healthy.
“Eric and Iñigo will play, and Pau will be on the bench. We need him, and I think it’s better for him to rest for a day or two. He needs those days. The injury isn’t very serious, but he needs more recovery.”
The coach was also asked about Barça’s hectic upcoming schedule, with 9 big games in all competitions set to be played in the next 28 days with virtually no rest in between them. Flick says he trusts his training and medical staff to get the players ready for the marathon ahead, and thinks the squad is still capable of doing something special in the next month.
”I spoke with my staff and we discussed what we could do to get the players back in shape. They told me the players are ready and that playing every three days isn’t too much for them. I trust them, and we’ll see what happens.
“We’re going to play, we’re not making excuses. The team is ready and we have to strive for the best performance. We’re going for it. The quality of the team is good and we can beat anyone even if the players don’t get the optimal rest.”
No excuses indeed.
Source: barcablaugranes.com
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