Hansi Flick confirms the 'KO' of Lamine Yamal for the duel against the Vigo team

The coach of FC Barcelona, Hansi Flick, held a press conference ahead of the match between his team and Celta de Vigo, corresponding to matchday 14 of LaLiga EA Sports. The match will take place on November 23 at Balaídos at 21:00 hours. The native of Heidelberg addressed several topics related to the Blaugrana squad, and we detail them here at FCBN.

Injured Players of FC Barcelona

The 'KO' of Lamine Yamal for the match against Celta de Vigo

First of all, Hansi Flick confirmed what had been rumored for a few days: the absence of Lamine Yamal from the squad for the match against Celta de Vigo due to an ongoing injury. "We didn't play well against Real Sociedad, and that is the reason for the result, not because Lamine won't play. He is very important for us, but we can adapt with other players. He won't be able to play tomorrow; we will see when he is fit. The important thing is that when he returns, he is at 100%," the German stated.

It should be noted that Lamine Yamal ended up injured during the match against Red Star Belgrade (2-5), during which it was confirmed days later that he suffered a grade 1 injury to the syndesmosis of his right ankle. This setback will keep him out of action for at least two to three weeks. Given this, the German coach had to confirm his absence in this match against the Galicians, a situation easily deducible since in recent training sessions held by the Blaugrana team, he was unable to participate.

Along those lines, the Baden-Württemberg native wanted to avoid answering whether it would be a challenge to succeed at Balaídos without Lamine Yamal, stating that: "Tomorrow I will ask the team if they see it as a challenge." He also did not hesitate to mention that he has several alternatives to tactically replace the Blaugrana forward: "There are various options. It could be Rapha, Fermín, Pau Víctor, Pablo Torre, Dani Olmo...".

The return of Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araújo

Regarding the injured players, Hansi Flick offered some uncertain perspectives regarding two specific cases: Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araújo. There is a bit more uncertainty in the first case, but a more positive scenario seems to be emerging with the second. "I can't confirm when they will play. With Christensen, we have been told that the operation should go well. Araújo will be with us on Sunday," the coach pointed out.

Current Situation of the Blaugrana Players

Gavi

Additionally, Hansi Flick did not hesitate to clarify whether Pablo Gavi is finally fit to play a full match. In this regard, a fairly positive outlook was offered. "He is ready to play the full 90 minutes," he emphasized. Furthermore, it was ensured that the Andalusian is prepared to perform in any position required for the good of the team. "When I ask him, he says he can play anywhere. He gives his all in every position," the German coach recounted.

Marc Casadó

Moreover, regarding the players, Hansi Flick also mentioned one of the standout footballers of this season for Barcelona, Marc Casadó. The German referred to his debut for the senior Spain national team during the recent international break, expressing his happiness about it. "I have been very pleased with how he has played with the national team; it didn't look like his first match with Spain. He played like the others, as if he had always played with this team. He seems to have a lot of experience, and he must continue on this path," he highlighted.

Leo Messi's Relationship with Barcelona

The Blaugrana Legend's Praise for Barça and Hansi Flick's Work This Season

In another vein, the coach did not hold back in praising Leo Messi, who recently in an interview with 'El Nou Clam' from '3.cat' did not hesitate to state that Flick's Barça "looks spectacular and doesn't surprise him", in addition to praising the focus on young players. "It's an honor that the best player in Barça and in history says this. It's also good that he continues to follow the team. He values the young players in the squad and honors what he has always done for this club. It means a lot to the team," expressed Hansi.

The Controversial Disallowed Goal for Robert Lewandowski at Anoeta

Additionally, Hansi Flick allowed himself to speak about a rather controversial situation that arose in the previous match against Real Sociedad: the goal allegedly wrongly disallowed for Robert Lewandowski, a matter on which there is still no clarity regarding the reason for its annulment. "They haven't explained it to me yet. It wasn't something that important. Sometimes it's good to offer some explanation from LaLiga or the Federation. In any case, we are all human, and these things happen. We focus on the next match," he stated.

The Match Against Celta de Vigo

Regarding the match against Celta de Vigo, Hansi Flick warned what he expects to find in the duel against the Galicians at Balaídos, expressing the good feelings of Barça ahead of this encounter: "We expect a good match, a good Celta. It is always important after the break to start well, and this is our objective."

In light of the match against the Galicians, the German coach did not hesitate to add that, given the injury plague the club is facing, they will have to make some tactical adjustments, trusting in what his team can do against the Galicians, one of the league's most exciting teams this season. "We have some limitations, like Lamine, who is not here. We have quality with players who can vary their position. It's always the same; we look at what we need and design our match plan. I hope we do well tomorrow," concluded Flick.