Barcelona face international-break concerns as 17 players leave for national duty

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is facing a period of concern after 17 of his players were called up by their national teams during the current international break.

Flick said before the break: “I am worried when the players leave, but I trust the national team coaches and try to remain positive.”

The number of Barcelona players originally expected to depart was 18, but Andreas Christensen will remain at the club because of a problem with his left thigh muscle that has ruled him out of Denmark’s squad.

There is no panic at Barcelona, although the club is conscious of the physical demands facing players who are currently in excellent condition. The risks extend beyond the matches themselves, with long journeys – including transatlantic travel, as in Raphinha’s case – also placing additional strain on their fitness.

Barcelona have seen players return injured from international duty in the past, and Raphinha is a particular source of concern. He is the club’s most in-form player, having scored 14 goals in eight matches, but he is now facing a demanding spell involving extensive travel. He has also been affected by injuries during previous international call-ups.

Seven Barcelona players have joined Spain’s senior squad under Luis de la Fuente: Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Rodri, Pedri, Fermin Lopez, Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal. They will face Livakovic, who is part of the Croatia squad, in one of their fixtures.

Xavi Espart and Marc Bernal have been selected for Spain Under-21s, who are preparing for three European Championship 2027 qualifying matches against Finland, San Marino and Romania.

Elsewhere, Karim Adeyemi has returned to the Germany squad after a period of absence and will be involved against Serbia and Greece. Raphinha is with Brazil, Joao Cancelo with Portugal, Anthony Gordon with England and Jules Kounde with France.

Hamza Abdelkarim has been called up by Egypt, while Bisseck will represent Belgium Under-21s.

The length of the break and the flights involved are an added concern for Barcelona, not simply the possibility of players being injured during matches. Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong have all returned from international duty injured on several previous occasions.

Raphinha recently experienced pain in his right hamstring during the most recent World Cup. Several months earlier, in March, he suffered an injury in the same area during Brazil’s friendly against France in the United States. He was withdrawn from the Brazil squad, returned immediately to Barcelona and missed five weeks.

A series of separate injuries also limited his involvement last season. Flick and Barcelona are hoping their leading attacker can return from this international period fully fit.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta expressed his frustration with the break at the club’s general assembly last Saturday, citing both its timing and the number of matches his players must play.

“This break affects the rhythm of our preparations. It harms us greatly,” Laporta said. “We have to keep fighting and find the right balance. There are many competitions, the Conference League and the Nations League… the schedule is extremely congested.”