Flick's special policy for managing Barcelona players' playing time

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick continues to implement a meticulous policy of managing playing time since the start of the season, keen to avoid overexerting his players, especially after the summer's World Cup and the significant physical strain it placed on several of the team's stars . After just two rounds of La Liga, four players have topped the list of most-used players for Barcelona, ​​each having played a full 180 minutes: Juan Garcia, Gerard Martin, Xavi Espart, and Fermín López . This is due to Flick's careful calculations regarding physical workloads, in coordination with Benjamin Kogel, the German fitness coach who joined the Barça staff this summer at the manager's request . The participation of several Barcelona players with their national teams in the World Cup, along with the varying levels of their involvement in the tournament, necessitates a different approach to managing them at the beginning of the season, a fact clearly evident in Flick's decisions during the first two matches . The German coach substituted Lamine Yamal in the 65th minute against Elche, despite Barcelona enjoying a good run of form. He also took off Rafinha in the 63rd minute against Athletic Bilbao, even though Barcelona were leading 1-0, clearly indicating his desire to manage the physical demands on his key players . Eric Garcia trails the top four, having played 170 minutes, while Lamine Yamal has 155 minutes, Rafinha and Marc Bernal 143 each, and Pedri Gonzalez 130. Anthony Gordon has 105 minutes, while Christensen and Pau Coparci have 90 each. The coaching staff is being particularly cautious with Dani Olmo, who has only played 52 minutes in the first two league matches . This caution stems from Olmo's demanding schedule at the World Cup, where he played 465 minutes for his national team, prompting the coaching staff to reduce his playing time at the start of the season to prevent fatigue . Xavi Esporte began preseason training with Barcelona but was given several days off before joining the team's training camp in England. He had just won the European Under-19 Championship with Spain and arrived in Barcelona on the 13th of this month . Overall, 18 Barcelona players featured in the first two rounds of La Liga, with Alejandro Balde remaining the only available first-team player yet to make an appearance . The minutes played reveal Hansi Flick's approach since the start of the season. The German coach doesn't rely on a fixed starting lineup but rather considers each player's physical condition to maintain the team's fitness throughout the long season and avoid overworking his key players before the crucial stages of the competition.