The FC Barcelona squad will have two days off (Monday and Tuesday) after the tough defeat in Montjuïc against Leganés (0-1). Despite the result, Hansi Flick confirmed the break in training, as planned before the match against the 'pepineros'. This is because, due to the Champions League clash against Dortmund, the team trained non-stop throughout the week after the trip to Germany.
In this sense, the coaching staff understands that the best way to recover the team physically and mentally for the decisive match against Atlético de Madrid (Saturday 21 in Montjuïc) is to give the players a couple of free days. Barcelona has played seven matches in the last four weeks and, before starting a very tough January, it is best to manage the loads, as the team has shown clear signs of fatigue.
The coaching staff detects the root of the Barcelona slump
In the post-match press conference, Marcus Sorg, who was in charge of the team after Hansi Flick's suspension, pointed out the load of matches and the high competitiveness in LaLiga as key factors in the Barcelona slump in the tournament. However, he valued the attitude of the players during the match before making self-criticism for another defeat, the second consecutive at home.
"The team has not yet experienced what it is like to play consistently at a high level. We need to work on that. Sometimes it is hard to accept matches like these, but we have to learn from this," argued the Barcelona assistant coach after the defeat in Montjuïc. Barcelona will seek to take advantage of the free week to recover in the best way before the clash against the 'colchoneros', the last of 2024 for the culés.
Looking ahead to Saturday's match, Hansi Flick hopes to have Ansu Fati, who ultimately missed the match against Leganés despite having trained normally on Friday and Saturday. Ronald Araújo was included in the list against the 'pepineros', although he could not add minutes in a match that became complicated from the start. The big doubt ahead of matchday 18 of La Liga could be Lamine Yamal, due to the strong blow he suffered on his right ankle against Leganés. This Monday, the youth player will undergo several tests to determine if there is any injury or not.