Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he takes responsibility for the team’s spate of injuries after losing Frenkie de Jong, Jules Koundé and Alejandro Balde to hamstring problems during the last week.
After losing both Koundé and Balde for the next month as Barça were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Atlético Madrid on Tuesday, with De Jong previously injured in training, Flick appeared to blame the club’s medical and fitness staff for the injuries.
However, he says the buck stops with him as Barça travel to Athletic Club in LaLiga this weekend with just 16 available outfield players.
“It happens,” Flick said of Barça’s growing injury list, which also includes Andreas Christensen and Gavi, in a news conference on Friday.
“I am not happy about that. I said this after the game. We have to discuss what we can make better. If we’re doing some things, we have to analyse it and make it better.
“It’s always my responsibility, no one else. This is what I want to say here now: not medical staff, not fitness staff, no, it’s my responsibility. I take care of that.
“If something happens, we speak, which is what I want to do now, what we make better for the future. It’s managing for a team, sometimes you make mistakes, it’s not nice, especially in this moment, but we are thinking positive.”
One of the players available to face Athletic on Saturday is Robert Lewandowski, who will wear a face mask after missing the midweek game against Atlético with a fractured eye socket.
The game comes too soon for Gavi, though, who will travel with the team to Bilbao and then on to Newcastle United for Tuesday’s Champions League match, although he is not yet ready to be included in the match day squad after five months out.
“Gavi has made the next step and this is good,” Flick said. “It’s good for him, his situation. We’ll see when he’s back, maybe after the break, but it could also go faster.”
To make up the numbers, Flick will turn to La Masia, with 18-year-old Xavi Espart among the players expected to be included in the squad for Barça’s upcoming matches.
Flick has been impressed with the youngster, who can play in midfield or at full-back, and has compared him to Philipp Lahm, who he worked with when he was Germany‘s assistant coach.
“When I see Xavi playing, I really like his confidence with the ball, it’s a little bit similar to Lahm,” Flick said.
“He could play as a No. 6 or a No. 2. It’s great to see him with the ball but also against the ball. He came back from injury, but he’s on a good level.
“He showed it in these three days of training how good he is. I am looking forward to seeing him playing.”
After exiting the Copa in midweek, Barça travel to San Mamés this weekend with a four point lead at the top of LaLiga before Tuesday’s Champions League round-of-16 first leg fixture at St. James’ Park against Newcastle.
