FC Barcelona visits Slavia Prague this Wednesday (21:00 CEST), with Marc-André ter Stegen no longer in the Barça squad. The German completed his six-month loan to Girona this Tuesday, and Hansi Flick, in the pre-match press conference for Champions League matchday 7, wished the goalkeeper good luck at his new club.
"It's the right decision and I wish him the best. He's a fantastic person and a great goalkeeper. We'll cross our fingers that he goes with Germany to the World Cup," commented the Barça coach, who also wished the same to 'Dro' Fernández. The midfielder will leave shortly for Paris Saint-Germain by paying his release clause (6 million) and, in the meantime, trains separately at the Ciutat Esportiva.
Roony Bardghji and the possible Barça XI against Slavia Prague
On the other hand, Flick spoke about Roony Bardghji before the match against Slavia. The Swedish forward is a candidate for the starting XI instead of Lamine Yamal, who had to stay in Catalonia due to suspension after accumulating three yellow cards.
"These games he's played, he's been very good. When he started, he showed good performance. It's not easy for Lamine to get minutes in that position, but he has a great level in training," argued the German coach about the '19' from Barça.
Roony has 2 goals and 4 assists in 15 appearances this season, 5 of them as a starter. His last appearance in the XI was in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Athletic (5-0), where he shone with a goal and a couple of assists.
Likewise, Flick hinted at the return of **Raphinha** to the lineup this Wednesday. The Brazilian was out against Real Sociedad due to discomfort in his right thigh, which he has completely overcome. **Pedri González**, also affected after the visit to Donosti, would also start in Prague.
"After the match he told me he was fine, and yesterday too. He is one of our most important players. Alongside De Jong, they play at a great level in midfield," Flick explained about the Canary Islander's condition, who suffered a hard knock to his right ankle from a nasty foul by Carlos Soler.
The plan against Slavia and the impact of the defeat against Real
Regarding their opponent in Champions League matchday 7, Hansi Flick expressed his respect for the Czech team, despite their poor performance in the group stage (3 draws and 3 losses). "It's a team that wants to press man-to-man, with quick transitions. It will be a difficult match, but we are confident," said the Barça coach.
In that regard, the manager made it clear that he preferred to travel to Prague earlier to be able to train on Tuesday and acclimatize to the city's cold (around -3 °C). Furthermore, he ruled out facing an opponent out of competitive rhythm, even though Slavia played its last official match in mid-December.
"They've had plenty of time to prepare for today; this is the Champions League and there's always maximum pressure. We want to win both games and we must focus on qualifying," he pointed out.
Finally, regarding the defeat at Anoeta, he added: "I am disappointed with Sunday's result, but **we played at a very high level. We need to be more decisive in front of goal**".