As Hansi Flick gears up for his debut season with Barcelona, he’s acutely aware of the significant toll that international competitions like the Euros and the Copa America can take on his players.
With many of his team members still battling it out in these tournaments, he’s preparing for the challenges of managing their fitness and form.
Out of the 13 Barcelona players involved in these competitions, 11 are still in the running. In the Euros, 11 players represented their countries, while in the Copa America, two players are playing.
Of these, only Robert Lewandowski and Andreas Christensen have been eliminated so far. The remaining players are still pushing forward, facing a few more games if they continue to progress.
Those in the Euros could have up to four more matches, while those in the Copa America might play up to five more games. This means they still have to put in one last major effort before the season ends.
The workload is enormous
Ilkay Gundogan is the Barcelona player who has clocked the most game time this season. He has played in a staggering 65 matches, averaging about 80 minutes per game.
He featured in 51 out of Barcelona’s 53 games and played 14 matches for Germany. At 33 years old, Gundogan is enduring a very demanding 2023-24 season, totalling 5,198 minutes on the field.
Ilkay Gundogan has been used the most by Barcelona and Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Young talent Lamine Yamal, just 16 years old, is also having an intense year with 60 matches under his belt, 50 for Barcelona and 10 for Spain.
Unlike Pedri, who has played the least with 38 matches due to injuries, Yamal has managed to stay relatively injury-free. Furthermore, Fermin Lopez has made his debut in this Euro Cup with two matches, totalling 45 appearances this season.
Ferran Torres has played 11 matches for Spain and 42 for Barcelona, though many of these were as a substitute.
Trouble for Barcelona?
Interestingly, it has come to life…
Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/barcelonas-pre-season-panic-hansi-flick-set-to-battle-looming-fatigue-crisis/
Author : Ash Reyna
Publish date : 2024-06-30 08:42:02
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