Sport: Barcelona's key players near overload, Flick needs to rotate

According to Sport, the workload of Barcelona's key players has become an issue that needs to be addressed. Yamal, Cubarsi, and Joan García have each played more than 1,000 minutes across all competitions this season.

Two and a half months into the season, workload management for Barcelona's key players has to be put on the table. The numbers are clear: the playing time of the club's most important players is starting to approach the danger zone.

Yamal, Cubarsi, and Joan García are the only three players in the squad who have passed 1,000 minutes in all competitions. Rodri is close to that mark with 900 minutes, while Raphinha, despite picking up an injury on international duty with Brazil, has still played more than 850 minutes. Pedri has the lightest workload of the team's six pillars, with 755 minutes. These figures reflect Flick's reliance on his key players. Despite the depth of the squad, injuries in defense continue to disrupt the coaching staff's plans.

No one can blame Flick. Any rational coach would trust players who can change the course of a match simply by being on the pitch. They have turned this Barcelona side into a dominant machine that has controlled around 80% of its matches so far. However, the aim is also to have the key players in peak physical condition by March, so Flick must seriously consider a rotation plan B for matches where it is feasible.

Against Deportivo Alavés, Flick substituted Pedri at halftime and Raphinha in the 62nd minute, which suggests he is already thinking about this issue. Even so, the German coach from Heidelberg needs to be pushed to do more and to bring players such as Bernal (460 minutes in total), Gavi (190), Adeyemi (418), and Jesus (266) into the rotation. These players have enough talent to start in any match, but so far they have mostly received only sporadic opportunities.

I won't deny that this is difficult, especially with the team facing Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid in quick succession this week. These matches are crucial for staying among Europe's elite and holding top spot in LaLiga before the last international break of the year. If there is no rotation in these two matches, that is understandable. When club football resumes at the end of November, however, the coaching staff will have to use their calculators and spreadsheets to balance the numbers and give the squad fresh legs.

It is not yet time to sound the alarm. The situation is not extreme, and any coach needs a solid foundation on which to build a system, especially when he has players like Rodri, who can make you rethink how to control a game. For Flick, this approach has produced 12 wins in 14 matches this season, although the two defeats, against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, were the most painful.