Hansi Flick has spent the international break concerned about the fitness levels of his Barcelona squad and is looking for solutions after the defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Sevilla.
According to reports
from Catalonia , the coach held a meeting with his training staff this week to discuss the decrease in intensity compared to the same stage last season, as the data provided to Flick shows a sharp decline in the numbers.
The most concerning physical decline is that of Pedri, who has looked visibly fatigued in recent matches and was especially exhausted in the losses to PSG and Sevilla. Flick and the training staff have had to manage the workload in training to deal with the squad’s general fatigue given the high number of injuries early in the season, but the diminished intensity in training has had a direct impact on the fitness levels in matches.
The plan for Flick and the staff is to get the squad to their max levels in March ahead of the season’s stretch run, but the early injuries and the decline in fitness in the squad has the coaches and trainers concerned that their plan may not come to fruition without a sharp increase in intensity over the next few weeks.
Barça will get key pieces back from injury in the upcoming days as Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Fermín López are all expected to return after the break, allowing for more rotation in games and a bigger focus on physical preparation.
