Barcelona switch to ‘airplane mode’ as Flick faces quiet international break

Barcelona will have only four first-team training sessions during the international break, with most of Hansi Flick’s squad away on duty with their national teams.

The players will then be given a full week off before returning to training on 5 October, ahead of the resumption of competitive football.

Barcelona ended this stage of the season in positive fashion by beating Sevilla 3-1 at the Sanchez Pizjuan. The victory allowed Flick’s side to head into the international break with confidence, although a large number of players immediately departed to join their countries.

Flick now faces the unusual task of managing daily work with only six first-team players available to him. They are Gavi, Gerard Martin, Alejandro Balde, Gabriel Jesus, Brian Farinas and Wojciech Szczesny.

The group will be joined at the training ground by injured players Juan Garcia, Andreas Christensen and Frenkie de Jong. They will continue their individual recovery programmes, but will not take part in full team training.

Monday was a rest day for Barcelona, and Flick did not go to the club’s training base. Gavi chose to attend voluntarily, while Juan Garcia and Christensen continued their rehabilitation work. Fermin Lopez also made a brief visit to collect some belongings.

Four sessions before extended break

Barcelona will resume training on Tuesday and work through Friday, completing four consecutive sessions before the squad begins a lengthy period of rest.

The break will run from 28 September to 4 October, with players due back on 5 October. They will then prepare for the return of official competition once the international window has ended and those involved with their national teams have returned.

The longer-than-usual pause means Flick will have limited opportunity to work with his squad, with the majority of his first-team players absent for international commitments.

Raphinha faces demanding schedule

Raphinha is among those likely to be most affected by the international programme. He leaves Barcelona at arguably his best point of the season after scoring a hat-trick against Sevilla and moving to the top of the league’s scoring charts.

The Brazil winger has been in outstanding form and has become increasingly important to Flick’s system. His strong performances have come as negotiations over a new contract with Barcelona continue.

Unlike most of his club team-mates, however, Raphinha will not enjoy a complete rest. He faces a long journey to Australia to join Brazil for two friendly matches before travelling back to Barcelona.

The winger will therefore cover thousands of kilometres with his national team while the rest period is being used by the club to give its players time away from training. He will then return to Flick’s squad and continue a season he hopes to maintain at the same high level.