Barcelona confirmed on Friday that captain Raphinha will miss the next two games after picking up a minor muscle issue during Brazil duty, which opens the door for his compatriot to step into the spotlight.
Gabriel Jesus is expected to start in place of Raphinha at the striker spot in Saturday’s La Liga clash against Getafe at Camp Nou, and Hansi Flick was full of praise for Jesus’ work in training and his overall qualities at a press conference on Friday.
“That’s the idea, that he can be a starter.
He’s improved a lot since he arrived and he’s very strong inside the box. He’s trained a lot these past few weeks, I’ve liked him a lot and he’s ready to be a starter.
“What I’ve seen in training are many things, and very good ones, and the ball pressing has been very good. It’s part of our identity, and I have players ready to do it.”
Flick also spoke about Lamine Yamal, who had an excellent international window with Spain and continued his fantastic early-season form, and Hansi was his usual self when talking about the teenager.
“What I’ve seen in the matches against Spain and with us in the first eight games is incredible. I saw it live in London against England. It depends on each player; they’re young and recover quickly. Lamine is young and enjoys playing football. If he doesn’t train much, it’s good that he’s maintained this level. He enjoys playing football and has incredible confidence and attitude. What we see here in training is very good. He’ll be the best player in the world if he isn’t already. With his attitude, his mentality, his desire to improve every day… that’s the right mentality, and so far he’s on the right track, and I’m very happy with him.”
We are all happy with Lamine, Hansi.
