Gavi to miss Spanish Copa del Rey match against Valencia

Barcelona will travel to Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the 2024/25 Spanish King's Cup, and coach Flick said that the 20-year-old midfielder Gavi will not play in this game, and Olmo's playing time must also be adjusted carefully.

In the focus match of the 22nd round of the La Liga earlier, Barcelona defeated Alaves 1-0 at home after Lewandowski scored, and built momentum for the match against Valencia with two consecutive victories.

When talking about the choice of goalkeeper, Barcelona coach Flick said, "Szczesny is our starting goalkeeper, that's clear. Peña is an excellent goalkeeper, and I can understand that the outside world will compare the two goalkeepers, but we chose Szczesny because of his personality and style, and he performed very well."

"They are all good goalkeepers and so are our young players. But we have made the decision and we have to stick to it. We always make decisions in the best interests of the team and I hope to keep doing it that way."

As for the status of the lineup, Flick said, "Olmo is the choice for the second half, and Gavi is still in the process of recovery, so he will not play tomorrow. He has been training on the sidelines recently, which is a positive sign. Because the collision was serious and the opposing player was also injured."

"Olmo has shown in many games how important he is for us, he can keep the ball and score goals, and having a player like him is crucial for the team, but we also have to protect him. He has been injured many times before, but at the same time he needs game opportunities. We have to be careful, pay attention to his physical condition and make adjustments."

In addition, Flick also said, "It is normal to consider rotation, because we cannot return from Valencia immediately after this game, and it is expected to arrive at three or four in the morning. Then we have a game against Sevilla, and we need to consider the players. Therefore, rotation may be carried out."

"People always comment on players by their playing position, but football doesn't work like that. We have a game tomorrow and another one after that and I need all the players to be ready. I'm happy to have different options, Frenkie de Jong is a great player and so is Casado. Whoever I choose, the most important thing is the whole team."