4 time bombs awaiting Flick at Barcelona

How will the German coach act after the end of the international break?

Barcelona have flown out of the blocks this season. Hansi Flick's side have swept aside everything in their path, producing football of the highest order. That form carried them into the international break with a perfect record and a six-point cushion over Real Madrid at the top, and the future looks bright.

Competition for places defines this squad. The Blaugrana recruited shrewdly over the summer, bringing in influential players to fill the positions that had lacked depth and genuine alternatives.

That strength in depth has a knock-on effect. Players who were pivotal in previous seasons now find themselves with less game time than they might have expected, for a range of reasons. Flick will have to spread those minutes wisely if he wants the whole squad sharp, engaged and ready for a packed fixture list, according to Catalan newspaper "Sport".

Four names jump out among those with the fewest minutes in the first team: Jules Koundé, Gavi, Baldé and Frenkie de Jong.

The Dutchman's case is straightforward. An injury kept him out of the opening match. The other three have featured in shorter bursts than anticipated, or less than they managed last term.

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Battle for the right-back position
Koundé has played just 261 minutes across the first eight matches. More surprising still, he has spent the last three games glued to the bench without a single appearance.
The Frenchman's situation ranks among the season's unexpected twists. Eric García took his starting spot last season, and the current split of minutes leans heavily towards the Catalan, who has racked up 469 minutes. That is 208 more than the former Sevilla man.
Over the past two seasons, Koundé's level has slipped, and he now sits a long way from the outstanding form he showed in Flick's first year. The German knows the Frenchman's habit of losing mental focus could cost the team points, and that has cost him his prominent role.
Zidane took a different view. Despite Koundé's place on the Barcelona bench, France's coach played him the full 90 minutes in their opening fixture of this international break against Turkey. These national team games could prove decisive in helping him rediscover his focus and his usual level.
He may return to a rosier picture in his hunt for a starting berth. Christensen's injury, plus the possible absence of Eric García through injury too, will open the door to two vacant slots in the Blaugrana defence.
Now Koundé must fight for his place again, while Flick has to hand him the chances to measure just how much of his best level he can recover.
Remember, too, that the player came close to leaving the club this summer, with the board rating him one of the most valuable assets on the transfer market.

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A tough task for Gavi and Balde
Two names sit below the 100-minute mark: Gavi (81 minutes) and Balde (12 minutes). Both have slipped down the pecking order under Flick, though for very different reasons. Injuries have hit the Andalusian midfielder hard, dropping him from a key figure under Xavi to one of Flick's last options.
Flick rates Gavi's ability highly, but Barcelona's midfield is currently the most valuable in world football. The scattered minutes here and there haven't moved him any closer to becoming one of the German's preferred or key options. That situation has cost him his place in Luis de la Fuente's squad.
Balde, meanwhile, doesn't have the German's full approval. Flick has criticised the full-back in press conferences, and a summer exit came very close. That sale would have been decisive in financing the left-footed centre-back Barcelona are keen to bring in.
Balde chose to stay and fight for a place at the club he adores. So far it has brought him just 12 minutes, though the fans gave him a warm reception on the pitch. He now faces competition from Xavi Espart and Cancelo, a compelling battle that should raise the level of all three across the season. This is the most crowded position in Barcelona's squad.
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De Jong's return
Gavi faces a fight for his place in a crowded midfield, and Frenkie de Jong may be in the same boat. The Dutchman picked up an injury on international duty, a blow that did not sit well with Flick, and he is yet to feature this season.
Signing Rodri sent a clear message from the board. Add de Jong's loss of the captain's armband, and Flick has a delicate job on his hands. He must carefully handle the return of a player who carries serious weight at the club, both in salary and standing.
Then there is the question of form. Given his injury troubles in recent seasons, nobody yet knows what level the Dutchman will hit.
Manage all of this, keep every player fit and switched on, and Flick will have a complete squad ready to challenge for every trophy.
The season is long, and the German knows it. Barcelona wanted to reach the international break unbeaten, and they have done exactly that. Now the focus shifts to rotating players and staving off the fatigue of a packed fixture schedule.