Only a few days separate Hansi Flick led Barcelona from their emotionally and physically draining victory over Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final.
As such, they must now shift their focus towards what’s likely to be the toughest European match of the season so far.
Barcelona put themselves through 120 minutes of a truly epic battle last weekend, and this has left those players who participated tired and potentially fatigued.
The midweek match will require Flick to balance the positives of Barcelona’s exhilarating cup final win, which undoubtedly has raised confidence, with the extended time on the pitch, which has drained some of his starters and put them in the recovery phase for Wednesday’s match.
There are even reports that there are players still recovering from the final with muscle fatigue and tiredness, all of which affect their rehabilitation before facing Madrid and the travel to Barcelona, according to Catalunya Radio.
However, it is not the fatigue but rather the busyness of Barcelona’s schedule of late that makes matters more difficult.
After hosting Inter Milan, they face an important La Liga match against Real Valladolid, where dropping points may mean dropping their four-point gap at the top.
Also, they face a second Clasico within a month afterward, so squad management is very important, especially as there is no shortage of travel.
Hansi Flick is seriously considering rotations for the Inter Milan match.
While resting several key players could help manage freshness for the league, it would also jeopardize Barcelona’s prospects in Europe.
Inter have a well-organized defense and deadly counter-attacks, and they would surely exploit any weakened team.
This could leave Barcelona with a mountain to climb in the second leg of the fixture.
Ultimately, this decision for Flick will come down to whether he trusts the depth of his squad.
What is apparent, however, is that Barcelona’s ability to manage this precarious situation could make or break their season.
The German coach has to balance short-term recovery with long-term ambitions, but knows the stakes of making a single wrong decision against his team.
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