Flick clarifies Frenkie de Jong's current situation: "Now he needs to regain his confidence..."

Hansi Flick not only had the opportunity to talk about the return of Lamine Yamal and the physical condition of Ronald Araujo in his press conference prior to the match between FC Barcelona and UD Las Palmas.  Furthermore, the German coach was able to extensively discuss the physical condition of one of his most questioned players at present, Frenkie de Jong, who has left more doubts than certainties in the few minutes he has played, raising the undeniable question of whether we will see the best version of the Dutch midfielder again.

Initially, Hansi Flick wanted to emphasize that although Frenkie de Jong has not returned to his best level, it is clear that he is gradually showing his best version. He stressed that, as with any long-term injury, the Arkel native needs time to recover optimally. "He's coming back from a long injury, he's doing well, he's recovering well. It's been 3 or 4 weeks since he came back. It was before the break, he returned, we are helping him, and in midfield we have very good players. When we can give him minutes, we do. In training, he must show that he is 100% fit physically," noted the German coach.

In the same vein, the Heidelberg native also wanted to provide a brief justification regarding the unconvincing feelings that Frenkie de Jong is leaving in each performance, mentioning that after a long injury, it is common to have some mental blockage to perform at the level that everyone knows he can reach. "He went through a long injury, he took a good blow. He carried it in the one-on-one. And this needs to be managed. Now he needs to regain confidence, and I know that it is very important for him to have playing time," Flick warned.

"Now we analyze every game, and what is important is to win. And I want the best possible team tomorrow, and that is how we make decisions. And this is why maybe he doesn't have as many minutes as he would like, or we would like,"

To conclude the topic of Frenkie de Jong, he was questioned about the whistles he received in the match against Stade Brestois (3-0), a topic on which he preferred not to dwell too much, highlighting instead the importance of the fans' support for all players. "I am clear, I like the fans to support all the players. The fans are fantastic, by the way. We have a very good connection between fans and players. When the players give their all, the fans see it," emphasized Hansi.

"The perfect scenario, for me, would be that all players have the support of the fans."

Gavi is leaving better impressions each time

Finally, when talking about players who have recently returned to action, Hansi Flick commented on the return of Gavi, expressing his positive outlook and highlighting the positive things he is showing despite returning from a long-term injury. "After a very long injury, it is not easy to come back. He is on a very good path. There is no doubt that he is 100% physically fit. He is young, with a lot of potential. Today, in training, I have been very pleased with what I have seen. I hope he will be pleased to know that he will play," he concluded.