‘They are out’… Hansi Flick confirms two important Barcelona players will not be called up against Osasuna | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are set to play against Osasuna tomorrow on Thursday, only a few hours after the end of the March international window.

Keeping in view the tight competition for the La Liga title this season, the Blaugranes will be keen to get the full three points from this game. However, this task will be made quite difficult for Hansi Flick because of the fatigue accumulated by international games and even the lack of availability of some of his important players.

The two players who will not be able to participate in this game are Ronald Araujo and Raphinha, who both could not get enough rest following their games with their respective national teams.

Previously, there was still hope that these players will be able to return in time for this game, with some special travelling plans.

However, as SPORT has reported, Hansi Flick made it clear in his presser before the game that neither of the two players will be called up. The Barcelona coach explained his decision in the following words:

“They are not going to play or be part of the team. They are out because the flight is very long, and it is not the ideal situation. They need to recover.

Ronald didn’t play the last match with Uruguay, but I don’t know what training he did with his national team. Ronald had a significant injury, he’s coming from a long flight, and that’s not the best way to recover. After an injury like that, it’s good for him to train before playing. We’ll see what happens for Sunday.”

Furthermore, Flick also announced that Pau Cubarsi, who suffered a physical problem while playing for Spain in this international break, will also not start:

“Eric and Iñigo will play as center-backs. Pau will be on the bench. It’s better for him to have a couple more days because he needs it. The injury is not serious, but it’s good for him to have more time. If we had needed him, he would play.”

Being prudent with these important players was the best choice, even though the game against Osasuna is an important one. Hopefully, Barcelona will be able to get a result from this game even without these key players.