Barcelona midfielder knows he will be important for Flick despite limited role so far | OneFootball

The past few months have been quite difficult for Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado, as he has found regular game-time hard to come by this season.

The La Masia graduate, who enjoyed a proper breakthrough into the first team last season, is low on the pecking order under Hansi Flick.

The likes of Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Dani Olmo, Eric Garcia, and even Marc Bernal appear to be ahead of Casado in the manager’s preference order.

As such, it gave way to speculations that Casado could leave Barcelona in January, with clubs like Atletico Madrid and Galatasaray showing interest.

Casado knows Flick has him in his plans

But nothing came of it in the end as manager Flick closed the doors on any potential exit for Casado in January.

Now, SPORT reports that the young midfielder is fully aware that he will be important for the Barcelona manager, whether as a starter or coming on in the second halves of matches.

Casado did not play a single minute in Barcelona’s first three matches of 2026 against Espanyol, Athletic and Real Madrid, the latter two in the Spanish Super Cup.

He played in the Copa del Rey Round of 16 tie against Racing Santander, before returning to the cold of the bench against Real Sociedad and Slavia Prague.

This period of ostracism in the middle of the winter transfer window fuelled rumours about a possible departure from Barcelona.

Real Oviedo game a turning point

However, on 25 January, Casado received a major opportunity in the league match against Real Oviedo. He was once again given 90 minutes, and his performance satisfied Flick.

Patience paying off. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Since then, to a greater or lesser extent, he has featured in every match: FC Copenhagen (12 minutes), Elche (6 minutes), Albacete (25 minutes) and RCD Mallorca (90 minutes).

The match against Oviedo was particularly decisive. It came just before the winter transfer window closed, a period when moves could still take place.

His inclusion in the starting XI was interpreted as a way of securing his continuity, but it was not a gesture for appearances’ sake to retain the player. But it made it clear that the manager’s confidence in Casado was genuine.

In the press conference after the match, Flick was asked about the possibility of Casado leaving, and he was unequivocal.

“There is no option for me, I do not want anyone to leave, we need everyone. And there is no other option that we want,” he said.

The German coach also offered strong praise for the player, saying: “Casado is super professional and deserved to start. I really liked what I saw from him in the match, he is the Casado we want.”

Casado did not lower his head during the toughest moments, nor did he intend to leave Barcelona. That patience has been highly valued by Flick, who continues to trust the youngster completely.

The season is very long, with all three competitions still in play, and Casado knows he will get opportunities to be important.