It is no secret that Hansi Flick is deeply involved in Barcelona's day-to-day affairs, even when it comes to monitoring the club's youth players. A shrewd operator, Flick often likes to monitor key matches for Barcelona's reserve team, as he considers La Masia to be a great source of talent for the first team. Flick's commitment to FC Barcelona's youth development knows no rest days either.
From the start of last season until December 2024, he played 1,727 minutes out of a possible 2,250, meaning he was involved in 76% of the minutes the team had played in the first half of the previous season. This season, Casado barely reaches 36.3%, having played only 768 minutes out of a total of 2,160. That 40% drop in involvement offers a clear snapshot of Casado's current situation. He knows that he is among Hansi Flick's last options.
After being branded as a flop for the longest time during his spell at Barcelona, Ferran Torres finally appears to have woken up. Under the leadership of Hansi Flick, the Spaniard has gone from being a backup striker at Barcelona to someone who is taking Robert Lewandowski head-on. Ferran's success has been backed up by data as well, as the forward has registered brilliant numbers in 2025, his first full year under Flick.
Jules Kounde has been making a habit of responding to speculation on social media and has offered a fresh update on Sunday night after going off injured against Villarreal.
There was one major absence in the training today, as Pedri did not take part once again, with Hansi Flick confirming that the midfielder would not be available for the game through discomfort. The discomfort appeared during the minutes he played in the Copa del Rey match against CD Guadalajara earlier this week.
Tommy Marques has quietly become a familiar figure around Barcelona's first-team environment under Hansi Flick. The 19-year-old midfielder has been a constant presence in training sessions in recent weeks, regularly working alongside established senior players. Yet despite that growing exposure, his official first-team debut has so far remained out of reach. As Barcelona prepare to begin their Copa del Rey campaign against CD Guadalajara, there is a growing sense that the competition may once again serve as the perfect platform for youth integration.
