Spanish La liga leaders Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has come out to say he is unhappy that his forward Raphinha and centre-back Ronald Araujo will not play their next game. The game is a rescheduled game which will be played later today Thursday.
The reason for which the players will not play is said to be due to fatigue. Both players represented their countries during the international break so they will both be tired and needs rest. Brazil’s Raphinha played the entirety of their 4-1 World Cup qualifying defeat by Argentina, which ended just 42 hours before Barcelona’s game.
Araujo on the other hand was an unused substitute for Uruguay in Bolivia on Tuesday. The initial fixture between Barcelona and Osasuna was postponed earlier this month. It was postponed following the death of Barcelona’s club doctor Carles Minarro Garcia.
Speaking about the unavailability of Barca players, Hansi Flick said: “They’re out. The flight is long and it’s not the most optimal situation. They have to recover and train, and then we’ll see on Sunday.”
“It’s not the best situation for them. The players have played with their national teams, and that’s bad.” “Now we have to play against Osasuna, and we have to talk about whether it’s the right time. I’m not happy. There are other leagues that do it differently.”
“I can’t change that. That’s my personal opinion. But 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.”
The other 11 Barcelona players who played during the break, including Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski, are available – but Flick says they have not fully recovered. Victory against Osasuna will move Barcelona three points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga with 10 games left to play.
