Hansi Flick should really start misfiring Barcelona star in the No. 10 role against Alaves — Opinion | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are now preparing to take on Deportivo Alavés in La Liga today. Their league form has been fairly consistent since the disappointing loss to Real Madrid, and they will hope to bounce back from the Champions League humiliation against Chelsea.

The Catalan club has a lot of work to do in terms of improving their play. Ahead of the game, Hansi Flick confirmed that Pedri would be back in the squad, though he is not expected to start and could see minutes off the bench.

A new injury concern for Barcelona is Fermín López. The in-form No. 10 took a crushing challenge from Oihan Sancet, who was sent off for Athletic Bilbao last weekend, and he suffered discomfort after the game against Chelsea.

His absence leaves a void in the No. 10 role for Hansi Flick to fill, and he has a few ways he could approach it. We at Sempre Barça think the German manager should really start Dani Olmo as the No. 10 against Deportivo Alavés.

Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images

Hear us out. Olmo has not been in the best form recently, and his season so far has been more misses than hits. However, he is not going to recover his best level unless he is given a consistent run in his favoured position.

If the Spaniard is at his peak and playing his best football, there are few players better at operating between the lines. Against Alavés’ stoic defence, he could help open up the game for Barcelona.

Barcelona cannot afford to give up on Olmo. Instead, they need to find a way to bring out the best in him and maximise his impact on the team. That can only happen by giving him more minutes when he is healthy and fit.

Hansi Flick will surely be thinking about the long-term picture, and we hope he prioritises bringing the Spaniard back to form. Let us see whether Olmo gets the chance to start as an attacking midfielder against Alavés.