Flick adjusts Barça training with the squad stretched by the break

The international break has left Hansi Flick dealing with a Barça that’s short on available players, but work has continued at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. As Mundo Deportivo reports, with much of the first team away on international duty, the German coach has had to adapt the week—bringing in more Barça Atlètic talent than usual.

Break leaves few options

After two days off, the squad returned on Tuesday to Campo Tito Vilanova with a mix of first-team players and B-team involvement. In that session, Flick had Balde, Brian Fariñas, Gavi, Gabriel Jesus, Szczesny and Gerard Martín plus Eder Aller from the Barça Atlètic.

Joint session with the Atlètic

That pattern continued on Wednesday, when the first team held a shared training session with Barça Atlètic. Flick and Juliano Belletti worked together on the pitch in a day that allowed additional academy players to join in.

On Thursday, the picture was once again a reduced group. Szczesny, Gerard Martín, Gavi, Balde, Gabriel Jesus and Brian Fariñas trained with four B-team players: Eder Aller, Hafiz Gariba, Shane Kluivert and Guillem Víctor.

Beyond simply completing sessions with the squad trimmed by call-ups, these practices give La Masia players a chance to work close to the first team and be monitored directly by the coaching staff. Hafiz Gariba, the Ghanaian centre-back working well under Belletti, stood out alongside Eder Aller (goalkeeper), Shane Kluivert (winger) and Guillem Víctor (right-back).

With 17 internationals due to the FIFA window, Flick has limited options for normal training work. As Mundo Deportivo adds, the final session of the week is set for Friday at 11:00, after which Flick will give the players staying in Barcelona nine days off before they begin to rebuild numbers and prepare for the competition’s return.