Flick backs Raphinha, Gavi and Balde to make their mark for Barcelona against Aston Villa

Hansi Flick has backed Raphinha, Gavi and Alejandro Balde to play important roles when Barcelona face Aston Villa in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Barcelona return to European action after beating Alaves in La Liga at the weekend, but Flick expects a significantly tougher challenge against Unai Emery’s side. The Catalan club must also respond to their defeat by Paris Saint-Germain.

Flick praised Emery’s work at Villa and described them as one of the best-organised teams in Europe.

“Unai Emery is one of the best managers in Europe. I really like the way his team play,” said Flick. “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.”

The Barcelona manager rejected suggestions that his team have struggled against the strongest opposition, highlighting a run of 11 consecutive victories earlier in the season.

“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,” he said.

“We can make history and we’re working towards that – to win La Liga and the Champions League. We’ve got the quality.”

Balde has found regular first-team football harder to secure while Joao Cancelo has been in excellent form, but Flick said he remains committed to helping the young left-back recover his confidence.

“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,” said Flick.

“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.”

Gavi is also waiting for more opportunities, although Flick stressed that the midfielder remains an important option for Barcelona.

“We all know his quality and Gavi is always an option,” he said, adding that the priority was for Gavi to retain his confidence.

Flick confirmed Andreas Christensen has returned to training but will not be considered fully fit until at least the weekend.

“He’s fine, but we’ll have to wait until the weekend,” he said.

Barcelona are still managing several defensive injuries, although Flick was encouraged by the performances of those available in the victory over Alaves, including Frenkie de Jong and young defender Brian Farinas.

Farinas linked up effectively with Lamine Yamal on the right flank and could feature against Villa.

“They link up well, they’re friends, and they did very well against Alaves. Farinas is an option for tomorrow, but there are others,” Flick said.

Raphinha, meanwhile, has impressed Flick with his performances and his ability to operate in different attacking positions, including centre-forward.

“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,” said Flick.

“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.”