Barcelona are now just days away from beginning their La Liga campaign, with Hansi Flick putting the finishing touches on his squad.
The Catalan giants continued their preparations on Wednesday with the Joan Gamper Trophy clash against Al Ahly.
The fixture provided another opportunity for Flick to give his players valuable minutes before the competitive campaign begins.
Most of the Barcelona first-team players included in the matchday squad featured at some stage.
One notable exception, however, was Pau Cubarsi, who remained on the bench throughout the contest.
There is a clear reason why Barcelona opted not to use Cubarsi against Al Ahly, with the defender being carefully managed ahead of Sunday’s La Liga opener against Elche.
According to SPORT, Flick’s decision is not considered a cause for concern, with Barcelona simply keen to avoid overloading the young centre-back before the new season gets underway.
Pau Cubarsi has already endured an enormous workload this summer after playing every minute of Spain’s World Cup campaign.
The La Masia graduate featured for all 750 minutes across Spain’s eight matches, completing the full 90 minutes in their seven games before also playing the entirety of extra time in the final.
His performances earned him the tournament’s Best Young Player award, while he also developed an impressive defensive partnership with Aymeric Laporte.
Spain conceded just once throughout their World Cup run, with Belgium the only team to find the net against them.
Given the physical demands placed on Cubarsi during the tournament, Barcelona have decided that a gradual return to action is the sensible approach.
The expectation remains that the teenager will be available when Barcelona begin their La Liga campaign against Elche on Sunday.
For Flick, leaving Cubarsi unused against Al Ahly was therefore less about his fitness being a concern and more about making sure one of his most important young defenders is properly prepared for the season ahead.
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