Flick talks Raphinha, Gavi, Christensen, Balde, Farinas ahead of Barcelona vs Aston Villa

Flick talks Raphinha, Gavi, Christensen, Balde, Farinas ahead of Barcelona vs Aston Villa Days after thrashing Alaves in La Liga, Barcelona return to action at the Spotify Camp Nou tomorrow as they host Aston Villa in the UEFA Champions League. Having lost their last match in the competition against reigning champions PSG, Hansi Flick & co. will be eager to return to winning ways and strengthen their chances of finishing in the top eight. Ahead of the clash against Unai Emery’s side, the Barcelona manager spoke to the media in his pre-match press conference, discussing the team’s injury situation and form, among other topics. On injuries and facing Aston Villa Starting off, Flick insisted that they are doing the best of the situation in order to deal with the injuries in the squad. “When you’re dealing with injuries, you have to stay focused, and we’re doing well,” he said. Regarding the weekend win over Alaves, he added: “There was a mistake at the end – that happens sometimes – but I saw good work and conviction.” Flick also provided an update on Andreas Christensen’s condition ahead of tomorrow’s game, saying: “We’ll have to wait and see. He trained yesterday, but only on positional work. He’s fine, but we’ll have to wait until the weekend.” With Barcelona set to face Atletico Madrid at the weekend, Flick was asked if the team had one eye on the league match. In response, he said: “I’m focusing on Aston Villa. Unai Emery is one of the best managers in Europe; they have a very clear idea of how to play both in defence and attack. It’ll be a tough match. The Champions League is special and the opposition are top-class.” Flick also had words of praise for Aston Villa boss Emery, saying: “One of the best managers in Europe; I really like the way his team play – they’re confident on the ball and when building from the back, and I like their defensive structure. “They’ve got everything very well organised. Jackson is performing at an incredible level. It’ll be a tough match against a great manager.” On Alejandro Balde and Gavi’s situation Alejandro Balde’s situation has become somewhat concerning, with the young left-back seemingly no longer favoured by the manager. As such, rumours of a January departure have started to do the rounds already. Balde has been linked with a January exit. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images) But Flick insisted that the La Masia left-back remains in his plans and that he will help Balde regain his confidence again. “What’s happening to him is normal; when you don’t play often, you lack confidence. I see him training well, but we have to decide what’s best for the team, and Joao Cancelo is in great form,” he said. “When I say he lacks confidence, I know it can affect him, and I spoke to him after the last press conference. I respect him a lot; he’s young, but he’s a great person and a very hard worker. I’ll help him regain his confidence.” There have been similar murmurs about fan-favourite midfielder Gavi , who has found minutes hard to come by this season. “We all know his quality and Gavi is always an option, but once the match starts that option might disappear and you can’t always stick to your initial plan. I’ve spoken to him and the important thing is that he has confidence,” Flick said. On team’s form and options There has been some criticism against Flick and Barcelona that they have not stepped up against the big teams this season. Addressing that concern, the manager replied: “No, against Real Madrid the result could have been different, and the same against PSG. At this level, anything can happen. We’ve won 11 matches in a row. “You’re focusing on the two defeats. But I have faith in my team. We need to focus on Aston Villa and the Champions League. We want to be among the top eight.” The Barcelona head coach added that he was not surprised that the two defeats overshadowed their brilliant start to the season during which they won 11 games in a row. “It doesn’t surprise me; that’s the reality, but I think we played at the same level as PSG and Real Madrid, and the results could have gone either way. But I don’t really like looking back; I prefer to focus on the upcoming matches. “We can make history and we’re working towards that – to win La Liga and the Champions League; we’ve got the quality. It’s normal to focus on defeats or weaknesses; if I were in the press, I’d do the same, but defeats don’t change anything.” As for the defensive vulnerabilities that the Blaugrana have displayed at times this season, Flick explained: “We’ve got four players out in defence – quality players – and it’s not easy to manage that. But against Alaves, what I saw was that everyone pitched in; everyone stepped up to help, like Farinas and De Jong. “I hope Eric, Kounde and Christensen are fit again after the break, and even Olmo. Espart, not yet.” Lamine and Farinas showed great chemistry vs Alaves. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) The Barcelona manager also highlighted the partnership on the right flank between Lamine Yamal and Brian Farinas, who started at right-back against Alaves on Saturday. “They link up well, they’re friends, and they did very well against Alaves. Farinas is an option for tomorrow, but there are others,” he said. On whether he plans to use Gerard Martin as a full-back, Flick noted: “In our plans, he can play as a centre-back or a left-back – we’ll see tomorrow.” The Barcelona manager also discussed Raphinha’s start to the season and the idea to use him as a centre-forward this season, explaining: “I don’t know about Brazil – that’s not my job – but with us he’s playing at a fantastic level, with strengths that suit us very well. He’s very focused and adapts to the opposition by looking for spaces to attack. “He’s our captain. He’s shown his quality right from the start of the season. I’m very happy to have him performing at this level.” Source: Mundo Deportivo