Flick explains decision to bench Barcelona heavyweight vs Mallorca: 'Not at 100%' | Barca Universal

"Ahead of kickoff, manager Hansi Flick announced the starting lineup for the game, with some surprises. The biggest one, perhaps, was that Frenkie de Jong was left out of the team by the Barcelona manager, despite the Dutchman's top performances in recent weeks. Instead, he has opted for the midfield trident of Marc Casado, Dani Olmo, and Fermin Lopez. "Frenkie de Jong is not at 100%, and that's why he's on the bench and isn't playing today," confirmed the Barcelona manager."

""The important thing is to play the way we're playing. To stay focused and go out there convinced of what we're doing. I think the team is doing well," he said. Flick also highlighted the form and development of star winger Lamine Yamal in recent weeks, saying: "Lamine is in great form. I can see it in training too, and it's very positive for everyone. He's doing well and it shows.""

""Mallorca are doing very well. Muriqi has 15 goals, more than half of his team's total, and he's playing well. They're a good team, and we have to play very well this afternoon," he noted. Finally, the German coach referred to the performances of Jan Virgili, one of the former Barcelona players now at RCD Mallorca. "He's performing very well, and when you move to another team, you have to act like that," Flick concluded."

Hansi Flick named a surprising starting lineup that omitted Frenkie de Jong because he is not at 100%, placing him on the bench. Flick started a midfield trident of Marc Casado, Dani Olmo and Fermin López. Flick emphasized maintaining the team's style and consistency rather than focusing solely on finishing. Flick praised Lamine Yamal's recent form and training performances. He warned about RCD Mallorca's effectiveness, noting Vedat Muriqi's 15 goals and Mallorca's attacking threats. Flick also singled out Jan Virgili for strong performances after leaving Barcelona.

Read at Barca Universal