Barcelona

Barça players ‘fed up’ with injuries as Flick questions medical and fitness staff

Key players de Jong, Koundé, and Balde sidelined, with Pedri recently pushed to the limit, as Barcelona’s squad voices frustration.

LLUIS GENE

Juan Jiménez Roddy Cons

Update: Mar 6th, 2026 11:29 EST

Amid the excitement over Barcelona’s near-comeback against Atlético in the Copa del Rey and the praise the team received, one comment from Hansi Flick on Tuesday went largely unnoticed. It sounded like a direct critique of the club’s medical and fitness staff, led by Dr. Ricard Pruna and head of physical preparation Julio Tous.

“We have two more injuries (Balde and Koundé), and I’m not happy. We need to talk to the medical team and staff to prevent three players from getting hurt in one week. Now, in addition to Frenkie de Jong, there are two more,” Flick said.

The statement landed hard, but also came off as somewhat contradictory. Minutes later, he admitted he had taken “risks” with Pedri by keeping him on the field until the 70th minute instead of substituting him. Just the day before, he had said the Canary Islander could play the full 90 minutes. But when it was time to replace Araújo, he spoke with Pedri and ultimately left him on the pitch. Unless there’s a surprise, Pedri won’t start this Saturday against Athletic at San Mamés in LaLiga, as Flick knows he came dangerously close to overexertion.

🚨 Hansi Flick: "The team's physical load is something that must be managed when you have many matches. There are players from the youth academy with quality and the experience with them is good. Tomorrow there will be opportunities for players who don't have as many minutes so… pic.twitter.com/Xc6jXMNB9V
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 6, 2026

Players’ patience is wearing thin

“Players are fed up,” RAC-1 reported on Wednesday. The tension has been simmering for months. Questions about Julio Tous, the team’s physical preparation coordinator, emerged somewhat surprisingly, considering Barcelona’s performance last season. The team played 60 matches and finished the season exhausted but strong.

However, since the start of the 2025-26 season, reports have surfaced suggesting discontent with the team’s fitness program. Flick added a new dimension, turning the spotlight on the medical side as well.

Barça’s growing injury list

Barcelona currently has several key players sidelined: Andreas Christensen, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Koundé, and Balde. None are expected back soon. Management of De Jong’s injury, after he underwent surgery once the season had started, sparked debate. Raphinha’s early-season setbacks and recurring adductor issues added fuel to the fire, causing him to miss three matches against Albacete, Mallorca, and Atlético. Even Marc-André Ter Stegen, currently on loan at Girona, recently flew from Saudi Arabia to Barcelona for a second opinion, skeptical of the club doctors’ diagnosis.

A paradoxical fitness crisis

The physical-medical crisis at Barcelona is unusual. Tous leads a team that includes Rafa Maldonado, Pepe Conde, and Germán Fernández. Last season, Barcelona was one of the league’s best in sprinting and high-intensity runs. Players like Balde, Koundé, Raphinha, and even Lewandowski showed remarkable improvement, and Pedri’s transformation was exceptional.

Flick altered the approach with Pedri, moving him from a carefully managed rotation to playing full matches to widespread critical approval. Two months into this new system, however, doubts began to surface. “There’s not enough strength training,” whispers from the locker room suggest, despite last season’s gains in that very area. Raúl Martínez, responsible for recovery, has also been quietly criticized.

A tense road ahead

Whether or not it reflects reality, the tension is now palpable. Flick’s public complaint about the last three injuries strikes a nerve, especially following the Raphinha situation. Barcelona’s fitness and medical management will be closely watched in the coming months, as the club tries to balance performance with player health.