A new headache: De Jong's return leaves Flick with a difficult dilemma at Barcelona
A demanding task to restore confidence
Hansi Flick, the Barcelona coach, has admitted on more than one occasion that one of the biggest challenges facing any coach is dealing with the mental state of players who get fewer minutes than they would like, and the team's midfield is the most complicated area in this respect.
According to the Spanish newspaper "Sport", Flick faces a dilemma in midfield following the return of Frenkie de Jong to his plans. The German now has eight players scrapping over three positions.
Rodri, de Jong, Bernal, Gavi, Pedri, Fermin, Dani Olmo and Farinas are all competing for the three midfield berths.
One thing works in Flick's favour: plenty of them can fill more than one role, and several have played further forward in some matches.
At present, it appears Flick has settled on his ideal midfield for the toughest matches, with Rodri, Pedri and Fermin Lopez ahead of the rest of the contenders. Dani Olmo is also in the reckoning after entering a very close battle with Fermin.
There is also a perception Flick wants to kill off, that Olmo and Fermin can't start together. Hence both played against Galatasaray.
Dani Olmo took on the false nine role and once again proved his great ability to create chances and make things easier for his team-mates. Finding the net is another matter. His last goal dates back to March.
Watch the role Flick hands Olmo against Real Betis, although the indications suggest the player will start the match on the bench.
De Jong, meanwhile, is certain to start the match as a substitute, having returned to the squad after taking part normally in group training over the past few days.
De Jong's position
Flick admitted yesterday that he had tried using de Jong at centre-back during some training sessions held in a five-against-five format. It is hard to imagine that option becoming something the coach leans on in the medium or long term.
The player himself has confirmed on more than one occasion that he does not feel particularly comfortable in that position, pointing out that playing at centre-back was only an emergency solution during his time at Ajax.
Rodri's presence has changed de Jong's position at Barcelona, after the Dutchman had been a key element in the line-ups of every coach to take charge of the side. Now he has to confront the new situation and try to recover his standing despite the difficulty of the competition.
