Barcelona's German coach Hansi Flick has spoken about the situation of Raphinha and Frenkie de Jong ahead of the clash with Real Betis, scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, in La Liga, and also addressed how to manage Lamine Yamal's playing minutes.
Speaking at a press conference reported by "AS", Flick confirmed Raphinha is available again after rejoining collective training. He urged caution, though. No rushing the Brazilian into a bigger role than his body can currently handle.
Asked whether the winger might get some minutes against Betis, the Barcelona coach said: "If you ask him, he will say he is ready to start, but I have to take it with him step by step. He has trained well with the group, and his involvement must be managed in the right way."
He added: "The good news is that he will be available, and so will Frenkie de Jong."
Raphinha picked up the injury on international duty with Brazil and sat out the La Liga trip to Getafe and the Champions League meeting with Galatasaray. He is back on the training pitch ahead of the Betis game.
Flick: De Jong is a top-class player
Turning to the Dutch midfielder's possible role against Real Betis, Flick made no secret of his delight at having him back, while flagging the need to keep tabs on his physical progress after the injury.
Flick said: "Frenkie is a top-class player, and I am very happy to have him back. We have to monitor his progress, because he is coming back from injury, like Rodri. He will be ready to get some minutes tomorrow."
Could the Dutchman be used at centre-back? Flick commented: "We have not tried him much in that position, and it has been limited more to five-against-five drills. He is committed during training and he wants to prove how good he is."
He continued: "We have many options, and of course I have to manage them, and that is not an easy thing. The situation is good, and every player who starts a match has to prove why he deserves to play, so nobody can slip back or feel relaxed."
Those remarks point to a gradual return for De Jong, with his physical condition factored in after his spell out.
How is Flick managing Lamine Yamal's minutes?
On the question of Lamine Yamal's workload, Flick admitted there is no simple answer, stressing the balance between making use of the youngster's abilities and keeping him fit.
The Barcelona coach said: "It is not easy to answer this question. We have to manage his minutes, but the most important thing is that he enjoys playing football, and that is what he is doing."
Barcelona want to keep their La Liga winning run going against Real Betis. All eyes are on the returning pair, Raphinha and De Jong, and on the role handed to Lamine Yamal.