Burkina Faso
Indonesia
Lithuania
Montenegro
Nigeria
North Macedonia
United Arab Emirates

Real Madridvs.Barcelona

sportsmole.co.uk, 25 October 2024, 14:56
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has said that he is 'yet to decide' whether to start Fermin Lopez in Saturday's El Clasico.

The 21-year-old made his return from injury as a second-half substitute against Sevilla last weekend, before being given the nod from the first whistle against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Fermin was outstanding against Bayern, coming up with two assists during a strong performance, and the Spaniard is widely expected to retain his spot in the starting XI for Saturday's game with Real Madrid at Bernabeu.

However, Flick is now spoilt for choice in the midfield area, with Frenkie de Jong, Gavi and Dani Olmo all fit following recent injury issues, while Pedri and Marc Casado have both been in excellent form.

When asked about his team selection during Friday's pre-match press conference, Flick claimed that he 'had not decided' whether to select Fermin in the starting side for the La Liga contest.

Flick claims he has not decided on El Clasico XI

"I haven't decided yet. In the last goal against Bayern, he was very involved with the ball, indeed. He is showing that he is capable of doing what we ask of him. That he showed this performance in the last game was a great sign," said the Barcelona boss.

Flick is expecting "a great game" against Real Madrid, and he will be bidding to help Barcelona record their first La Liga victory over Los Blancos since March 2023.

"I can see that we are looking forward to tomorrow's game. It will be a great game... we have different ideas in our approach. Against Bayern we realised that we had to improve certain things. In this case we will have to adapt to Madrid. There are always players who go very fast.

"Now we are playing Madrid, who are a very prepared team but I trust my team because they are doing great. I liked to see how we went up after the 1-1 draw against Bayern. That's the example of what we are doing well, with more possession and more confidence. That's the key, to keep moving forward and adapting to different situations."

Flick remaining focused amid recent praise

Flick also insisted that he is not getting carried away with the praise that has been sent his way due to Barcelona's excellent start to the season, with the Catalan outfit top of the La Liga table on 27 points, scoring 33 times in their 10 matches.

"The praise doesn't put more pressure on me, it's nice to be praised but I know what my job is, which depends on results. That's why I focus on us winning, on the game, on how we want to play tomorrow," he added.

"It's true that the situation in the city has changed, because the connection with the team is huge. On Wednesday there was an incredible atmosphere in Barcelona. That's why I work every day, to make sure the fans are happy."

Despite Barcelona's injury situation easing in recent games, the Catalan giants will still be missing a number of important players on Saturday, with Ferran Torres, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Marc Bernal, Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo all out, while Eric Garcia is highly unlikely to be involved due to a muscular issue.

Show more

Top News

23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have reportedly decided how they wish to handle the recovery from injury of Marc Guiu. 23 April 2025 talksport.com Matheus Cunha can bring an on-field 'personality' that Manchester United is sorely missing in the club's quest for Premier League glory. 23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has heaped praise on Matheus Nunes who produced a 'big career moment' in the Citizens' important 2-1 Premier League win over Aston Villa on Tuesday night. 23 April 2025 talksport.com Liverpool remain front-runners to sign Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez, talkSPORT understands. 23 April 2025 talksport.com Arsenal have been given the weekend off ahead of their crucial Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain. 23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid have reportedly found out when summer transfer target Milos Kerkez will make a final decision on his future at Bournemouth. 23 April 2025 talksport.com Danny Murphy believes Ollie Watkins is not quite at the level of a 'top-tier' striker. 23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Raphinha, but will demand a hefty fee to part ways with the attacker this summer. 23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Feyenoord will be looking to extend their winning run in the Eredivisie on Friday night when they play host to bottom-half opposition PEC Zwolle at Stadion Feijenoord. 23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have reportedly been informed that they will have to come up with an offer in the region of £67m in order to sign RB Leipzig attacker Xavi Simons during this summer's transfer window. 23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa are reportedly braced to receive offers for Ollie Watkins this summer amid interest from four Premier League clubs. 23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly open to selling both Casemiro and Alejandro Garnacho during this summer's transfer window despite the pair being important players for Ruben Amorim in recent months. 23 April 2025 talksport.com Thierry Henry is arguably the Premier League's greatest player - but few would have predicted the career he'd have after his early Arsenal struggles. 23 April 2025 talksport.com Darwin Nunez's contract fine print could mean that Benfica miss out on a significant payment from Liverpool if the Uruguayan international doesn't start again. 23 April 2025 talksport.com Simon Jordan has criticised the impact of Profit & Sustainability Rules on the Premier League. 23 April 2025 talksport.com Leeds and Burnley have been told to back their managers if they are to stay in the Premier League next season. 23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Braga will aim to take their own slice of the pie from Famalicao when they visit Estadio Municipal 22 de Junho on matchday 31 of the Primeira Liga, in a bid to tighten their grip on third place 23 April 2025 talksport.com Leeds could sack Daniel Farke despite achieving promotion from the Championship, talkSPORT understands. 23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal's Premier League London derby with Crystal Palace on Wednesday night has "pre-season vibes" written all over it, but Mikel Arteta will be desperate for a victory, Gunners expert Charles Watts has claimed. 23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk French champions Paris Saint-Germain will look to continue their pursuit for immortality when they welcome Nice to the Parc des Princes on Friday. 23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Newcastle United have reportedly emerged as the club who are showing the most interest in one of Strasbourg's star players. 23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Ipswich Town head coach Kieran McKenna has reportedly been shortlisted as a potential new manager for Brentford and Fulham. 23 April 2025 talksport.com Manchester United are ready to cash in on Alejandro Garnacho to help fund their summer rebuild, talkSPORT understands. 23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Two Premier League clubs are reportedly contemplating whether to make an approach for Chelsea forward Joao Felix. 23 April 2025 talksport.com Manchester United are ready to cash in on Garnacho to help fund their summer rebuild. 23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have reportedly emerged as the frontrunners to secure a deal for one of Bournemouth's star defenders during the summer transfer window. 23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Ipswich Town are reportedly prepared to offer striker George Hirst a new deal amid interest from Leeds United and Burnley. 23 April 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Marcus Rashford will reportedly not make any firm decision on his future until the end of the 2024-25 campaign. 23 April 2025 talksport.com Vinicius Jr is close to extending his stay at Real Madrid with a lucrative new contract, talkSPORT understands. 23 April 2025 talksport.com Karim Benzema is desperate to deny Cristiano Ronaldo his first Saudi Pro League title.