Hansi Flick has denied rumors linking him to alleged pressure from the FC Barcelona board for Lamine Yamal to "always play" despite some delays by the player from Mataró in training. The coach has always been very strict with the entire squad, and several players (Jules Koundé, Raphinha, Marcus Rashford) have suffered 'punishments' for being late.

"I'd like to know where the rumor comes from. It's bullshit. It's not like that. In this club, with Deco and the rest of the professionals, I have a real relationship. I believe in my work. I have their trust and they wouldn't ask us to do that. It's a garbage rumor. Whoever said it lied," the coach began.

"For me, the important thing is that, when Lamine is here, he works hard. And all of this is perfect. He is very professional. What he does on his days off is his private life."

Likewise, the Barça coach dismissed criticism of Robert Lewandowski for supposedly playing injured against Poland. "He is always very responsible for his health and his body... There is no one, except Cristiano Ronaldo, who takes care of himself like he does. We have to manage it. It's not a problem," he said regarding the Polish player.

Flick will rely on youth players to cope with injuries against Girona

'Lewy', like Ferran Torres, will be out against Girona. In the case of the '9', his injury to the left femoral biceps could leave him sidelined for around a month, while the '7' is out due to a muscle overload. In that sense, Flick made it clear that, for matchday 9 of LaLiga, he will likely draw on the youth academy to rebuild his lineup.

"Those from La Masia may have options and an opportunity. We'll see what happens. Injuries are things that cannot be changed." Alongside Robert and the 'Shark', Raphinha will also be unavailable. However, the technical staff is confident in recovering him next week.

"These injuries to Dani, Ferran, Lewy... And Gavi, Joan García, or Rapha need to be managed. We hope Rapha will be available for El Clásico. Sometimes, there are problems in the recovery phase, but he is on the right track," the German coach pointed out regarding the absences.

Similarly, Flick confirmed the returns of Lamine Yamal and Fermín López against Girona. However, the coaching staff understands that, since both are coming from the infirmary, they will hardly be able to be in the starting XI and have a significant amount of minutes.

"We have to look for solutions and players to start. Lamine and Fermín are back, and they won't be able to play the 90 minutes."

The keys to overcoming the collective slump of the last two matches

On the other hand, the coach analyzed Barcelona's current situation prior to their return to action. The 'culés' are coming off two consecutive defeats in La Liga (Sevilla) and the Champions League (PSG), a scenario that, in 24/25, only occurred once.

In this regard, Hansi Flick is convinced that the key lies in displaying the best possible football from minute 1 and knowing how to manage the different scenarios that each match presents. "Improving mentality and attitude" on the field is a differentiating factor from the perspective of the Barça coach.

"We are Barça and the fans want to see us fight for every ball. To make every pass well. It's a new season, the three titles from last season are not enough. We lost in Seville, but there are still many games left and we will fight to win every title."

"We've reviewed the situation and what needs to be improved. We need to improve the mentality and attitude. The defenders also want the forwards to pressure."

Flick is honest about the match in Miami: "we're not happy, but that's the way it is" 

Furthermore, Flick was once again asked about the Villarreal-Barcelona match of matchday 17 in Miami. LaLiga has already confirmed the match for Saturday, December 20th, with the approval of both clubs, despite the stance of the Barça coaching staff and squad.

"The players aren't happy and I'm not happy. But LaLiga is the one who decides and we'll have to play. We'll have the Christmas break between the last game of the year and the first of the next, against Espanyol. We have to respect it."