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Barcelona continue to be bit by the injury bug in what has otherwise been a perfect start to the season, with Fermín López adding to the problem by picking up a thigh issue in his first day back in training after recovering from a slight hamstring knock suffered while in Spain under-21 duty.
There is a fear at Barça that Fermín could be headed down the same path as Pedri, who suffered back-to-back muscle injuries after playing two summer tournaments for Spain three years ago just as Fermín did this year, and the club plans to be very careful with López’s recovery to avoid a painful road for the young midfielder.
Hansi Flick was asked about the situation in a press conference on Wednesday, and the coach took the blame for Fermín’s injury, specifically when it comes to not asking the Spanish Federation to keep Fermín out of the squad for the September international window to allow him a bit of rest for the first time.
Barça coach Hansi Flick says he feels guilty about Fermín López's injuries after playing two tournaments this summer. Says he should have spoke with Spain U21 coach before the international break. Would have done usually but didn't feel was right at the time because he's new
— Samuel Marsden (@samuelmarsden) September 18, 2024
Here is Flick’s full quote on Fermín’s injury:
“It is a shame because he’s played two tournaments and what I can say is that I feel a bit responsible, I could have spoken with the under-21 coach, but I cannot make excuses. I feel I am to blame for his situation because he’s a player we needed badly right now, he can score goals and is very professional. When I saw him at the doctor’s it wasn’t pleasant. I felt sorry for him. We have to take care of the players.”
Source: Mundo Deportivo
It’s quite refreshing to see a coach take the blame here when Flick could have easily — and very rightly — simply blamed the Spanish Federation for calling up Fermín when there was zero reason to do so. He deserved a full vacation, and common sense said two weeks off during the first international break of the season was the only right decision.
Now we don’t know when we’ll see Fermín back, or if he’ll be quite the same again. And Barça fans are lucky to have a coach in Hansi Flick who’s willing to share the responsibility in that and who will no doubt do his best to protect his other players going forward.
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