If there is a player who is currently generating a lot of expectations at FC Barcelona, that is Ansu Fati. The native of Bissau, who was suffering from plantar fasciitis in his right foot for a month and a few weeks, has now been medically cleared to take action in his new adventure as a cule; however, he has not yet had his first significant encounter in this 2024/25 season, raising the question: when will Hansi Flick give him the opportunity to have a significant sample of playing minutes in official competition?
That is not entirely clear. Initially, following his return to the field, which took place in the match against AS Monaco (2-1) where he only played the final eight minutes of the game, it was expected that with imminent rotations, he could participate, either against Villarreal CF (1-5) or against Getafe CF (1-0). However, in both matches, the German coach opted for his luxury trident formed by Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, and Raphinha.
Flick did not deem it appropriate to give Ansu Fati playing time against Villarreal or Getafe
In the first clash against the 'Yellow Submarine,' his return seemed particularly timely, as the match was quickly resolved in terms of the score. However, Hansi Flick decided to make changes from the midfield backward, despite the mandatory change due to the injury of Marc-André ter Stegen, bringing in Marc Casadó, Pau Cubarsí, and Héctor Fort, reinforcing the attack with Pau Víctor.
In the next match against the 'azulones,' one of the teams in the lower part of the standings, Hansi Flick took the opportunity to bring in Ferran Torres, Pedri González, Gerard Martín, and Héctor Fort, leaving Ansu Fati on the bench again, despite still having a substitution to make. In response to this absence, the German coach argued: "He is at 100%, but this match was very tough, very tight, and we decided to let other players play." It seems like the Barcelona '10' was preserved in a match against a team known for physical encounters with a high risk of injuries.
Will the 'culé 10' manage to get minutes against CA Osasuna?
From this point on, it will be interesting to see if Ansu Fati finally manages to play, either as a starter or from the bench, in the match against CA Osasuna, which will take place next Saturday, September 28, at El Sadar at 9:00 PM. Since the opponent is one of the 'top 10' in LaLiga EA Sports, will Hansi Flick consider lining him up as a left winger or will he place him as a center forward? What is clear is that if he does not participate in this match, more speculations will begin to arise about the talented academy player, who, given his situation, needs to start getting regular playing time to regain his rhythm.