Coach Discusses Player's Fitness Ahead of Match

The coach cut straight to the point on the eve of the game: his star man is hurting, but he’s not stepping aside.

“He trained separately. He’s fine. He’ll travel. We’ll see,” he said in his pre‑match press conference, outlining a situation that feels like a familiar tightrope at elite level. The player has been nursing pain from a knock, working away from the main group, but insists he is ready to play.

“He had pain from a knock and is training separately. But he says he’s fine and could play tomorrow. We have to wait to see if he plays tomorrow. We’ll decide. I don’t know if he’ll rest or not. He wants to play. He doesn’t like to train separately.”

That last line matters. This is a footballer who lives for competition, not drills. The coach knows it, and he clearly leans towards trusting that hunger.

“He’s in very good shape. His mentality and morale are improved. In the last match, he was outstanding. For him, playing is better than training. It’s the right thing for him to start so he can recover; I think it was good that he started the first three matches.”

So the dilemma is set: manage the risk, or ride the form of a player who has started the season flying. The medical staff will advise, the player will push, and the coach will carry the responsibility.

The opponent, though unnamed, is not being taken lightly.

“It’s football, anything can happen. We have to focus our efforts where they matter. It will be tough. But we want to win. And we know it won’t be easy,” he added, refusing to dress up the challenge.

Behind the selection doubts, there is a deeper conviction about the squad he works with every day. Training has convinced him this group has the tools to deliver.

“When I watch training I always think that the quality of the team is very good, how we press, pass and compete. In each rondo you can see that it is the highest level but in the end the important thing is to win the titles in Barcelona. The quality of the squad is top.”

The message is clear: the standards in training are elite, the ambition is silverware, and the decision over one key player’s fitness will be judged not on sentiment, but on whether it brings Barcelona closer to those titles.