Ansu Fati was expected to recover and return to action after the September international break. However, the match between FC Barcelona and Girona came too soon for him, and now he seems set to return in the upcoming UEFA Champions League game against Monaco on Thursday.
If Flick had all his squad available, Fati would have found it very difficult to get opportunities to play. Although he did impress Flick to some extent in the pre-season, he did not get the opportunity to showcase his intent and talent as he had to suffer plantar fasciitis.
Although this injury was not too serious, it still deprived him of a good opportunity to gain more importance after his return to Barcelona.
But as SPORT has noted, his return from this injury is seemingly coming at a good moment. While he is expected to be available for the match against Monaco, it is highly likely that he will start this match on the bench, and get some minutes only in the latter phases of the game.
But things are shaping up well for him for the ensuing La Liga fixture against Villarreal. For this match, Flick will be without two important attacking players, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres.
The former suffered a Hamstring injury last night and is expected to remain unavailable for the next 3-4 weeks. Meanwhile, Torres also got a red card in this same match and will be suspended for the Villarreal clash.
However, this situation does not mean he will get into the starting lineup without any hurdles. Pau Victor will be another player clamoring for playtime after his good performances in the pre-season and thus can compete with the €25m-rated Spanish forward for a starting spot.
Thus, Fati will find it easier to get some minutes after his return than he would have in normal circumstances. It is now on the player himself to take full advantage of any opportunities that come his way and impress Flick to get an important role in the squad.
