“If it wasn’t professional… But think of everything”, Barcelona are surprised by Dani Olmo’s situation. The club’s sporting area cannot find an explanation for the plague of injuries that Hansi Flick’s team has suffered since the start of the championship: 15 in total. “We have a lot of injured players and some are key players,” the German lamented. The majority, however, are muscular, 12, triple compared to what was recorded last season at this time. And Dani Olmo is precisely the symbol of a problem to which, for now, no solution can be found in the Joan Gamper Sports City.
Olmo drags an old, wounded Stations of the Cross. Since the 2021-2022 season, when he joined Red Bull Leipzig, the Catalan midfielder has suffered 11 injuries, eight of which were muscular. However, he has already suffered half of these ailments as a Barcelona player, and he has only been at Barça for just over a year. Olmo takes care of his diet to the point of always traveling accompanied by a cook. “He also takes him on holiday”, they explain from Ciudad Deportiva. In the afternoon he continues with his preparation routine, as well as taking care of his rest. “What they now call invisible training is done entirely by Dani”, the same sources underline. However, something is wrong with either Olmo or Barcelona.
The injury issue obviously worries Hansi Flick, but also the internal management of Ciudad Deportiva. The German coach had to call up an important player and then not let him play even a minute, after the medical guard couldn’t reach an agreement with the physiotherapists. While the doctors believed that the footballer was not ready to compete, the healers thought the opposite. And in the middle, Flick. The German coach was forced to accelerate Raphinha’s return. However, his technical staff assures that Flick has only tried to contain – even more – the internal problems. “The recoverers have hurried,” warn those who work with the German.
They also understand in the locker room that not all physical methods work for all players. “He helped Pedri, yes; but perhaps not for the rest”, underlines a Barça player. With Olmo, in fact, they can’t find the formula. The 20th underwent a physical study at the beginning of the year and the conclusions, published by Mundo Deportivo, were positive: “His parameters are within normal limits for his age and the load of matches and training.”
After the latest muscle injury to the soleus of his left leg, sustained during the last training camp with Spain, Flick took maximum care with Olmo. “They are coming back little by little. They are not yet ready to play the whole match, maybe 30 or 45 minutes,” the German said about Olmo and Lewandowski after the match against Elche. Against Bruges both played just 32 minutes. At Barcelona they hope that today (21st, Movistar), against Celta, they continue to refine their structure.
De la Fuente also joins in protecting Olmo, even though he wants him close. “You have to be careful with all players, but this is a risky sport. As long as he is available, he is a very important player. For us he always adds. We will see if he plays more, less or not at all. But he will definitely add”, commented the La Roja coach, who is also betting on Fermín, today replacing Olmo at Barcelona.
After the break, the infirmary will begin to clear up with the return of Joan García. “We know that we have to play better and when everyone comes back, after two or three games, they will already be at the highest level to help us,” Flick said of Pedri, Raphinha and company. “But,” warned the German, “until then we must fight.”
Among the search for answers Olmo emerges. Hermetic when it comes to talking about his physical problems, he works to find the formula that guarantees continuity. “When he’s good he’s one of the best midfielders in Europe”, they boast in the sporting world. The problem for Flick is that this isn’t always the case. And now Barcelona needs leaders.
