Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has delivered disappointing news regarding new signing Dani Olmo, ahead of their La Liga season opener against Valencia on Saturday.
The Euro 2024 winner, who joined the Catalan giants from RB Leipzig for a reported £48 million last week, will miss the crucial fixture due to fitness concerns. Despite arriving at his boyhood club, Olmo has yet to make his debut, having been left out of the squad for the 3-0 Joan Gamper Trophy defeat to AS Monaco on Monday.
Hopes were high that the midfielder might be registered and available for the trip to the Mestalla, but Flick dashed these aspirations during his pre-match press conference on Friday.
"Dani Olmo is not in a good enough physical condition to play tomorrow. We want to look after him. It's important that everyone plays but also avoids injury. We want everyone to be involved and training without getting injured," Flick stated.
While confirming that he has a squad of 22-23 first-team players available for the clash, Flick refused to be drawn on specific registration issues or discuss the absence of individual players.
"We don't dwell on things we can't change. There are no excuses or complaints. Things have been said. I've had a lot of experience in the past and I've arrived at the club with the situation as it is. We're focused on tomorrow's match, we want to put in a great performance. The official list of players called up will be released tomorrow morning," Flick declared.
The German manager expressed satisfaction with the current squad, highlighting the importance of a strong team dynamic.
"This is the most important thing. When I signed my contract with Barca I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I told [Sporting Director] Deco that I'm happy with the team. Furthermore, players are returning to fitness gradually," Flick remarked.
One such player is Pedri, who Flick revealed will be available for the second half of Saturday's match. The midfielder recovered from an injury sustained while representing Spain against Germany ahead of schedule.
"I'm delighted to have Pedri back," Flick said. He also expressed his excitement about seeing Gavi making progress in his recovery from an ACL injury.
"He's working very hard but needs time. He's a fantastic player and I have to thank all the coaches who are supporting him. I don't want to put pressure on him, he's only 20 and we need to take care of him," Flick insisted about Gavi.
Despite the absence of Olmo, Flick remains positive about Barcelona's prospects heading into the new La Liga campaign, with the return of key players and a strong team spirit bolstering their ambitions.
