The Blaugrana are top of La Liga but their game in hand has been scheduled for Thursday, meaning they'll have to play four times in nine days
Barcelona were reportedly in the middle of a training session when Hansi Flick heard the news. The club's Liga clash with Osasuna had been rescheduled by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for Thursday, March 27.
Flick was furious. The new date meant that he would probably be unable to call upon regulars Raphinha and Ronald Araujo for the must-win meeting with Osasuna as the pair will have only just returned from international duty with their respective nations in South America.
There was also the fact that the rearrangement meant that Barca were suddenly facing the daunting prospect of playing four times in nine days at a crucial and already congested stage of the season.
Flick felt the fixture list was unfair. He immediately feared fatigue might end up taking a heavy toll on a team still competing on three fronts and ultimately undermine Barca's Spanish title bid in particular. And, in fairness, one can easily understand why…
Getty ImagesBarca 'must be better prepared physically'
During the build-up to Barca's first meeting with Osasuna this season, Flick felt compelled to freshen things up. His Blaugrana side had made a stunning start to their Liga campaign, winning their first seven matches, and scoring 23 times in the process.
However, Flick knew that one of Barca's biggest problems under his predecessor, Xavi Hernandez, had been their costly propensity for fading during the final quarter of games.
Club president Joan Laporta had even stated last summer, "Flick knows that the players need to be prepared better physically."
Rotation, then, was always going to be essential, especially due to the demanding nature of the German's tactical game-plan, which relies heavily on intensive pressing.
Advertisement'Rest was required'
So, after spotting the first signs of fatigue in a laboured 1-0 victory over Getafe on September 25, Flick decided to drop some of his regular starters to the bench for the game away to Osasuna three days later.
Unfortunately, Barca were outplayed in Pamplona, losing 4-2 despite the second-half introductions of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha – but Flick felt he'd been left with no other option.
"We made a lot of mistakes, we made a lot of rotations to the team and maybe that's one reason why, but they were necessary, as there are a lot of games and a lot of minutes already accumulated," the German coach explained to reporters.
"I told the team that I am responsible. It's my responsibility to take care of the players, and some of them had played too many minutes. Their rest was required."
Getty Images SportBarca's reliance on Raphinha
In that context, 's claim that Flick is fuming right now seems perfectly plausible.
Raphinha has been Barca's player of the season so far, with the Brazil international's 27 goals and 18 assists having put him in pole position to win this year's Ballon d'Or.
The versatile winger has also started more games than any of his team-mates (41) and has emerged as one of the Blaugrana's most influential figures on and off the field, particularly in the injury-enforced absence of club captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Consequently, Raphinha missing his first game of the entire campaign would represent a major blow for Barca.
Araujo's possible absence would be less keenly felt as Barca coped brilliantly without the Uruguay defender while he was sidelined with hamstring trouble – thanks in no small part to Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez.
However, both centre-backs have had their own fitness issues and there's no guarantee that either man will be in optimal condition for the Osasuna game, which is far from ideal in the circumstances.
Getty Images SportA tight title race
Barca may be top of La Liga with a game in hand over second-placed Real Madrid but the two great rivals are only separated by goal difference.
Any slip-up, against Osasuna on Thursday, Girona on Sunday or Betis on Saturday week could prove very costly and eradicate the advantage the Catalans currently hold over the second-placed Blancos, who don't return to Liga action until Saturday night, when they host Leganes at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Depressingly, that has led to utterly unfounded and incredibly distasteful accusations within Catalunya that the allegedly pro-Madrid footballing authorities were effectively taking advantage of the tragic death of team doctor Carles Minarro Garcia, which necessitated the postponement of the original Osasuna fixture on March 7, to impose an even more gruelling schedule upon Barca.