Barcelona’s season continues to move at pace, with little room to pause as domestic and international commitments collide once again.
Hansi Flick has already had to carefully juggle minutes during a demanding run that includes league action, cup football and the Spanish Super Cup.
Squad management has become a recurring theme, particularly with the increased reliance on La Masia graduates.
The calendar remains unforgiving, and January is once again proving to be a month where depth is tested.
Barcelona’s next Copa del Rey challenge has thrown up an unexpected complication.
After the draw for the Copa del Rey Round of 16, Barcelona discovered they will travel north to face Racing Santander later this month.
The tie is scheduled to take place on 15 January at Estadio El Sardinero, a venue known for its intense atmosphere and tricky conditions for visiting sides.
While the draw itself appeared manageable on paper, the timing of the fixture has raised concerns behind the scenes at the club.
The main issue centres on two highly rated youngsters who have become familiar faces around Flick’s first-team plans.
Pedro Fernandez, better known as Dro, and Jofre Torrents could both miss the trip to Santander due to international commitments with Spain’s youth teams, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
Dro has been called up to the Under-18 squad, while Jofre Torrents has been selected for the Under-19 side, with both teams set to face Italy in friendly matches on 14 January.
The timing is far from ideal for Barcelona.
Both players are due to report for international duty on the Monday before the Copa del Rey clash and would only be released back to the club on Thursday.
That means neither would be involved in the build-up to the Santander match, making their inclusion difficult unless Barcelona reach an agreement with the Spanish Football Federation to secure their early release.
This situation is particularly frustrating for Flick, as both Dro and Torrents have been regular members of the senior squad in recent weeks.
Any absence would reduce Flick’s options, especially with rotation expected for a demanding away cup tie.
The issue extends beyond just two players.
Barcelona’s academy continues to be heavily represented at youth international level, with nine players called up across Spain’s Under-18 and Under-19 squads.
For the Under-19 fixture in Coverciano, coach Paco Gallardo has selected Andres Cuenca, Jofre Torrents and midfielder Quim Junyent.
Meanwhile, David Tenorio has named six Barcelona players for the Under-18 match in Las Rozas: Alex Campos, Dro, Pedro Rodriguez, Pedro Villar, Guille Fernandez and Toni Fernandez.
Want to get the latest Barcelona news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.
