Barcelona’s newly acquired goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, will not make his debut for the club against Deportivo Alaves in LaLiga. Manager Hansi Flick confirmed this on Saturday, stating that Szczesny will only be available for selection after the international break.
Despite the anticipation surrounding Szczesny’s arrival, Flick emphasized that the Polish goalkeeper’s experience and quality will be a valuable asset for the team. Barcelona signed Szczesny as a free agent on Wednesday after he reversed his decision to retire and stepped in to fill the void left by Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s season-ending injury.
“Szczesny is in good shape and with his experience, character and quality, I think he is the very best option for the club. It’s very good to have him, he will help us a lot but he is not with us against Alaves,” Flick told reporters on Saturday.
Barcelona currently leads the LaLiga standings with 21 points from eight games, while Alaves is in 11th place with 10 points. The Catalan side faces a challenging schedule after the international break, including a Champions League match against Bayern Munich and a crucial LaLiga clash against Real Madrid on October 26.
Flick expressed confidence in Szczesny’s ability to contribute after the international break. “I am sure after the international break Szczesny will be an option for us. For him also, to play for Barca will be great. We will see how he is doing in training, we have a lot of time,” Flick said.
Flick also addressed the team’s recent 4-2 loss to Osasuna, the first defeat of the season. He acknowledged the impact of his decision to rest key starters in that game, stating that it was a necessary change that players had to accept. He also addressed Lamine Yamal’s frustration at not receiving enough passes in the game, encouraging the young player to work on improving his performance.
“It’s normal to get angry, everyone wants to play more. Those changes had to be made. It’s a decision that they have to accept and they did,” Flick added. “Lamine Yamal (who started on the bench and was subbed in the 59th minute) complained that he wasn’t receiving many balls, but now he can work on fixing that.
Looking ahead, Flick emphasized the importance of avoiding mistakes and maintaining control in their upcoming game against Alaves. “We have to avoid the many mistakes we made at Osasuna. We need to have more control and possession. It is going to be a high intensity game at Alaves.
