Barcelona, March 26 FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has criticised the scheduling of fixtures as his side will be playing against Osasuna on Friday (IST), just one day after the South American FIFA World Cup Qualifiers took place, rendering important players unavailable for the clash.
Flick claimed to be unhappy with the situation but remained adamant that his side would not use it as an excuse and was ready for the clash.
“Almost all the players have been with the national teams, and we'll have to play tomorrow. We can debate whether it's the right time to play. When we play away and arrive late at night, it's not optimal. I'm not happy with this situation, and when you see how other teams do it in their leagues, it's different,” said Flick in the pre-match press conference.
"When you play in the Champions League, it's about protecting the La Liga teams so they can be successful, but this doesn't depend on me, and I can't change it. We'll play and we won't make excuses. We're ready," he said.
The German head coach also confirmed that Raphinha and Ronald Arauja, the two players who played the CONMEBOL FIFA WC Qualifiers for Brazil and Uruguay respectively on Wednesday (IST), will not be available for selection due to their rigid schedule.
Alongside, Flick also confirmed that Pau Cubarsi, who returned to the club after sustaining an injury while training with the Spanish national team, is alright but will be rested for the game on Friday.
"Raphinha and Araujo will arrive in Barcelona this afternoon. They won't play. They're out. The flight is very long, and they have to recover and train. It's not the best situation. They have to recover from the trip, and we'll see what happens on Sunday.
"Pau will be on the bench, and Eric and Inigo Martínez will play. Pau needs to rest for about three more days. If we really needed him, he would play, but we'll save him for tomorrow," he added.
Barcelona are currently sharing the top spot in the La Liga standings with old rivals Real Madrid, with both teams having 60 points. Barcelona have the advantage as they have played 27 games, one less than Real Madrid. Atletico Madrid are in the third spot with 56 points from 28 matches, while Athletic Bilbao are fourth with 52 points.
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