Hansi Flick warns Lamine Yamal he must 'manage' his own playing time as Barcelona boss fears deepening injury crisis as La Liga & Champions League races heat up

Ahead of a daunting trip to San Mames to face Athletic Club, the Blaugrana are navigating a precarious fitness situation, with the heavy workload of teenage sensation Yamal becoming a central concern. The physical toll on the squad has thrust the young winger into the spotlight, and the club are desperate to protect him from burnout amid a gruelling domestic schedule. The squad's overall depth has been severely compromised, leaving the technical staff scrambling for viable tactical solutions. While the imminent return of veteran forward Robert Lewandowski offers a timely offensive boost, the broader picture remains highly concerned for a side battling to maintain their slim advantage over Real Madrid.

Yamal has featured 35 times in all competitions for Barcelona this season, only missing six matches through injury and suspension. He has started from the bench on just two occasions - in the Supercopa de Espana semi-final and against Real Sociedad in his first La Liga game back from injury in September. Calls to manage his playing time are growing due to his age but Flick says the player must bare some responsibility for his workload.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the crucial match, the German coach said when asked about Yamal: "Managing players and their playing time isn't easy. I talk to all the players; they know whether they're going to play or not. I have my plan, but I also place this responsibility on the players because they have to learn to manage themselves to play for the next two weeks. We need everyone until the end of the season. Sometimes we decide together, sometimes I do. This is how I want to manage my team."

Rather than attributing the recent spate of frustrating physical setbacks to the club's medical department, the head coach has commendably taken on the pressure while calling upon La Masia academy graduates to step up seamlessly. The Catalan club saw Jules Kounde go off early with an injury against Atletico Madrid, only to see his replacement, Alejandro Balde, to be taken off later in the game. Those two are joined by Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen on the injury list.

"These things happen. I'm not happy," he said. "I already said that after the match. We need to talk about what we can improve. That's always my responsibility, and that's what I want to see. Not the medical staff or the physios, it's my responsibility. I'm concerned about this. I want to talk to the doctors, the physios, the technical staff, see what we can improve. It's about managing the team. It's not pleasant, especially at a crucial moment like this. We're optimistic. This gives other players the opportunity to show how good they are."

Barcelona must now survive the notoriously intimidating Basque atmosphere this weekend as they clash with a notoriously resilient Athletic Club. This demanding fixture represents a significant hurdle in their ongoing quest for domestic supremacy, particularly given the massive physical toll of recent punishing encounters. Barca are four points clear of Real Madrid heading into the weekend's fixtures.