Hansi Flick has already started training his new team, i.e., FC Barcelona, and he will have two years to take the Catalans back to their rightful position in Europe and Spain after a trophyless 2023-24 campaign.
However, the German tactician will not have an easy start to his first season in charge of the Blaugrana team. This is particularly the case because of the international commitments and physical problems that some of the important Barcelona players are facing.
As Mundo Deportivo has reported, Barcelona might face several problems in the midfield as they start their 2024-25 season on 17th August with a match against Valencia.
Gavi, Pedri, and Frenkie de Jong are all still recovering from their respective injuries, and have not yet started training fully with the rest of the team. Similarly, Fermin Lopez will be with the Spanish team for the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, right after ending his UEFA EURO 2024 campaign on a successful note.
It is not clear whether Ilkay Gundogan, who is yet to return to the team from his holidays after seeing his German national team getting knocked out of the UEFA EURO 2024 at the quarter-final stage, will be fully ready to feature in this game.
Oriol Romeu, who is already on the exit list of the Catalan club, might have left the Blaugrana team by that time, while Sergi Roberto’s contract has already expired.
Among these players, Gavi is almost certainly going to miss this match, as he is expected to recover from his injury only in October. Pedri will also remain on the sidelines for a month and a half after having suffered an injury in the EURO 2024 with a Kroos tackle.
Fermin can also be safely ruled out as even if his team gets eliminated early from the Olympics, he will not have enough time to recover and rest as he was also a part of the UEFA EURO squad.
On the other hand, Barcelona are confident Frenkie de Jong will recover by the time their first league game takes place on 17th August, but his recent injury history compels the club to remain cautious with him.
Gundogan will be with the team for the USA tour, and can participate even in the friendlies against Manchester City, Real Madrid, and AC Milan.
If he is present at the club by then, Oriol Romeu can come in handy for Flick, while Marc Casado, who can play in several midfield positions, will also be available for emergency situations.
