Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has ruled out Brazilian winger Raphinha and Uruguayan defender Ronald Araujo from Thursday’s rescheduled La Liga match against Osasuna, citing fatigue and long travel times following international duty.
Both players were involved in the FIFA World Cup 2026 South American qualifiers earlier this week. Raphinha featured in Brazil’s 4-1 defeat to Argentina, while Araujo remained on the bench during Uruguay’s goalless draw against Bolivia.
“They will not play, they are not in the team, they have a long flight and it’s not the best way, because they have to recover,” Flick told reporters during a press conference on Wednesday.
Barcelona’s match against Osasuna was initially scheduled for March 8 but was postponed due to the sudden death of a club doctor. The rescheduling to this week has irked Flick, who expressed frustration at the timing, especially with a crucial Champions League quarter-final second leg against Borussia Dortmund looming on April 15.
“I am not happy with this. When you see other leagues with Champions League teams, it’s different to here,” said the German manager. “When playing away, always at nine (2000 GMT), we arrive late back in the night, it’s to do with recovery for the players.”
Adding to the tight schedule, Barcelona will face Leganes late on Saturday, just three days before their European fixture, leaving Flick concerned about player fatigue and readiness.
Despite these challenges, the Barcelona boss remains optimistic about securing three points against Osasuna to extend their lead at the top of the table.
“Always no excuses, we go for it,” Flick asserted. “Tomorrow we will go for it, I think we have big, big quality in this team. We can win against everyone, even if some players are not in the team… we’re looking forward and are very positive.”
On the squad front, Flick confirmed that defender Inigo Martinez will start the game, even though he recently withdrew from Spain’s national team camp. Promising youngster Pau Cubarsi, who suffered a knock during international duty, has recovered enough to be named on the bench.
