Hansi Flick didn’t must spell it out after Barcelona’s 2-1 win over Al Ahly within the Joan Gamper Trophy.
His crew picks all through pre-season have already began to disclose how he’s pondering forward of Sunday’s La Liga opener towards Elche, reviews Mundo Deportivo.
Health stays a significant factor, as a number of gamers who would usually anticipate to be a part of Barcelona’s strongest XI are usually not but totally prepared, forcing Flick to take a look at the choices obtainable to him.
That has made the current friendlies significantly helpful. Some gamers have been trusted repeatedly, whereas others have been tested in different roles.
The Gamper Trophy supplied one other take a look at Flick’s plans and one substitution in assault could have been extra vital than it first appeared.
Pre-season decisions have constructed backbone of his Elche XI
The clearest indicators have are available in midfield and defence.
Joan Garcia appears to be like set to proceed in purpose, whereas Eric Garcia has established himself as the leading option at right-back.
Gerard Martin additionally seems to have earned Flick’s belief, with Andreas Christensen anticipated to companion him in central defence.
Alejandro Balde’s return throughout the Gamper Trophy match was one other constructive signal and will put him in line to begin at left-back towards Elche.
The midfield image seems much more settled.
Marc Bernal has been constantly used because the central determine, with Xavi Espart and Fermin Lopez rising as the 2 gamers probably to finish the trio.
Flick’s picks all through pre-season recommend that this mixture has grow to be one of many strongest potentialities for the opening sport.
Barcelona’s beginning XI vs Elche could due to this fact look very completely different from the aspect followers would anticipate as soon as each participant is totally match.
However with health ranges nonetheless shaping Flick’s selections, the coach seems able to reward those that have been most obtainable and most constant throughout the summer time.
Gordon’s striker function might be Flick’s greatest Elche clue
The assault stays the realm with essentially the most unanswered questions.
Raphinha seems sure to begin, whereas the battle for the opposite extensive function might come all the way down to Karim Adeyemi and Lamine Yamal.
Adeyemi has the benefit of getting featured recurrently beneath Flick throughout pre-season, however Lamine’s high quality makes him unimaginable to disregard.
The extra attention-grabbing resolution issues the centre-forward place.
Hamza Abdelkarim has been Flick’s most continuously used choice as a striker throughout the friendlies. But when the Egyptian was taken off towards Al Ahly, it was Anthony Gordon who moved into the central function.
That change might be an vital trace.
Flick has spent a lot of pre-season testing completely different options at No. 9 and Gordon’s introduction via the center within the Gamper Trophy suggests he might be one other real choice for the function towards Elche.
That doesn’t essentially imply Hamza has misplaced his place, however the substitution confirmed that Flick is prepared to contemplate Gordon as a central reference when wanted.
