Gabriel Jesus will start for Barcelona for the first time against Getafe on Saturday evening in La Liga. Hansi Flick dropped his usual reticence about team news and confirmed as much in his press conference.
Spanish newspaper"Sport" report that Barcelona have spent weeks working quietly on getting Jesus physically ready for his chance. The Getafe match could prove how well that plan has worked.
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The Brazilian winger has been converted into a centre-forward and become captain of the Catalan side, as well as its top scorer with 14 goals since the start of the season. He will miss the clashes against Getafe and Turkey's Galatasaray, leaving Flick to find solutions in his absence.
Sixteen Barcelona players joined up with their national teams during the international break. Jesus stayed at the club, took no holiday and went through three weeks of specific physical preparation. The plan aimed to build his capacity to endure longer minutes gradually, turning him into a reliable alternative for Flick.
Barcelona now believe Jesus can play around 60 minutes. That does not yet guarantee he can handle heavy workloads, but it marks an important step for a player who joined in the final days of the transfer window. He needs continuity to recover his competitive rhythm after missing a normal preparation period in his final months at Arsenal.
Raphinha is out until next week. Hamza Abdelkarim lacks the experience to shoulder a start at the Camp Nou. That leaves Jesus as the most suitable option to give Flick answers up front.