A strange week at the Camp Nou: Flick puts Barcelona on "flight mode"
Why?
Barcelona will hold only four training sessions during the international break, with most of the first-team players absent on national-team duty. The squad will then be given a full week of rest before training resumes on 5 October.
The Catalan side left the Sanchez Pizjuan with an important 3-1 victory over Sevilla, ending this phase of the season in the best possible way and with positive feelings, before a large number of their players headed off to join their national teams.
Hansi Flick faces a particular challenge in managing daily training during a longer-than-usual break, with just six first-team players at his disposal: Gavi, Gerard Martin, Alejandro Balde, Gabriel Jesus, Bryan Farinas and Szczesny.
Injured trio Joan Garcia, Andreas Christensen and Frenkie de Jong will join this group, continuing their own recovery programmes during the break without taking part in full group training.
Monday was a rest day, and Flick did not go to the sports city. Gavi attended voluntarily, Joan Garcia and Christensen kept working on their recovery, and Fermin Lopez arrived briefly to collect some of his belongings.
Four training sessions before the rest
Barcelona return to training on Tuesday and work through to Friday across four consecutive sessions, before a long rest running from 28 September to 4 October.
The players are due back on 5 October to prepare for the resumption of official competition, once the international break ends and those away with their countries return.
Raphinha between brilliance and exhaustion
Raphinha will be one of the Barcelona players most affected by the break programme. He leaves the team at his best moment since the start of the season, having scored a hat-trick against Sevilla to top the league's scoring charts.
The Brazilian winger is enjoying a striking period of brilliance, and his importance within the Barcelona system has grown, coinciding with ongoing negotiations over the renewal of his contract.
Complete rest, though, is off the table. A long trip to Australia awaits Raphinha to join the Brazil national team for two friendlies, before he returns to Barcelona to continue a season he has begun in wonderful fashion.
Barcelona will use the break to give their players days of rest. Raphinha, by contrast, must cover thousands of kilometres with his country before returning to Flick's side, determined to maintain his outstanding level.
