While Barcelona was concluding their preparations for Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal first leg against Inter Milan, Hansi Flick made a few relevant choices during Tuesday’s training session that indicated short-term thinking and long-term growth.
The German coach pushed back the start of training by 45 minutes so the players could have an extensive video-analysis session and a tactical talk, a strong indication of how much he is putting into this European match.
While most of the training session involved preparing to break down Inter’s defensive organization, there were a couple of surprises that made the training group decide out loud.
Hansi Flick invited 18-year-old attacking midfielder Noah Darvich from Barça Atlètic to train with the first team, as per Mundo Deportivo.
The German youth international, who joined Barça last summer, has quietly impressed at the reserve level and is now getting his first taste of preparation ahead of a Champions League match.
He is unlikely to play against Inter, but again, his inclusion demonstrates Flick’s desire to include young, talented players in challenging environments.
In another interesting development, backup goalkeeper Ander Astralaga trained with the senior squad alongside the established keepers, confirming he’ll likely be the third-choice option for the European tie.
This comes after Marc-André ter Stegen’s Champions League squad deregistration to accommodate new signing Wojciech Szczesny.
With Robert Lewandowski and Alejandro Balde still sidelined through injury, and Marc Casado also unavailable, Flick’s training decisions show a blend of pragmatism and forward-thinking.
While Darvich’s call-up is more about experience than immediate contribution, it offers a glimpse into Barcelona’s commitment to developing their next generation even during crucial moments of the season.
As the team heads to Italy, these subtle roster moves demonstrate the club’s multi-layered approach to squad management.
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