Hansi Flick, Barcelona's head coach, has restored hope for Hamza Abdel Karim, the team's player, regarding his participation with the first team in the coming period, following his exclusion from the last two matches.
Hamza Abdel Karim was on the bench for Barcelona's first two matches of the Spanish league season, against Elche and Athletic Bilbao, without making a single minute of playing time.
The Egyptian striker, Hamza Abdel Karim, had participated in all of Barcelona's friendly matches during the pre-season, scoring four goals, the most recent of which was against Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy.
Possibility of returning to the lineup
Barcelona opened their Spanish league campaign this season with a 5-0 victory over Elche, followed by a 2-0 win against Athletic Bilbao last Thursday at Camp Nou.
Hansi Flick said in a post-match press conference: "The way we play football is good; this is how we want to see the team play. As I said before, we still have room for development, and we can improve a lot; indeed, we must improve."
The German coach added: "In attack, we have different options. Perhaps in the next match against Rayo Vallecano, we will play with another out-and-out striker besides Raphinha. I don't know... We will train, and we have four more days of training, and then we will see."
Wasted chances
Regarding wasted chances, he said: "The most important thing is that we create chances. Certainly, we wasted some, but that does not mean that having another player inside the penalty area would have made things better."
He continued: "The most important thing, as I have said repeatedly, is training, because the quality we see in training is truly amazing... The level is very good, and that is what we need every day, whether in possession and positioning drills, small-sided games, or rondo and passing exercises."
He concluded: "I believe there are some situations where we can still improve, where we can hold the ball and play better instead of going directly forward, because when you lose the ball, you have to run back, and that is not necessary."
Raphinha's continuation
He went on: "There is no need for us to put ourselves in these situations, so we must improve in this aspect, and we are working on it... I am very happy with what I see in training, and for me, that is the key."
Regarding Raphinha's continuation as an out-and-out striker, he said: "For me, it does not matter in which position Raphinha plays; what matters to me is Raphinha himself... Now, as the team captain, I believe he has shown full commitment to this team and this club, and you can also see that the fans are connected with him."
He added: "I also see that there are other players involved in this role, such as Eric Garcia and Pedri, and I believe we have a good atmosphere within the group, which is essential for us."
The Alvarez deal
Regarding negotiations with Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez, he said: "I do not want to talk about this matter now... I was not involved in these things, the officials are doing their job, and I am doing mine."
Hansi Flick concluded his remarks by saying: "My only job is to prepare the team as best as possible for the upcoming matches. That is my job, and I will do it."
