Barcelona have received a major double boost ahead of tonight’s La Liga trip to Real Betis, with Hansi Flick confirming that both Raphinha and Frenkie de Jong are available for selection at La Cartuja in Seville. The league leaders head into the Matchday 9 fixture aiming for an eleventh win of the season, with eight victories from eight so far leaving them top of the table on 24 points. Betis, on 19, are enjoying the best league start in the club’s history.
Raphinha pushing for a start as Barcelona manage his return
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Flick revealed that Raphinha is pushing hard for a starting role while urging patience over the Brazilian’s reintegration. “If you ask him, he’ll tell you he’s ready to start, but we’re taking things step by step,” the coach said. “We have a lot of games in a short space of time and we need to manage that.”
De Jong, who has yet to make his first appearance of the season, is also ready to play some part, with Flick preaching the same patience as with Raphinha. “He gives us another option in midfield and we’ll see how he progresses,” Flick explained. “He’s training well and is ready to get some minutes. He looks very focused and he’s a top player.”
In-form Betis await before PSG and El Clasico
The test awaiting Raphinha and his team-mates in Seville is a significant one. Betis sit third in La Liga with two Champions League wins to their name and a perfect home record behind them. Flick was full of praise for Manuel Pellegrini’s side. “They’re full of confidence and have won every home game,” he said. “They have fantastic players in one-on-one situations. It’s incredible how much they’ve improved in recent years.”
Flick also addressed the workload of Lamine Yamal, who remains central to Barcelona’s attacking threat and is managed as carefully as Raphinha. “He’s a special player,” the coach said. “We have to manage his minutes, but the important thing is that he enjoys playing. That’s how things are at the moment and I don’t want to interrupt that.”
With Paris Saint-Germain visiting in the Champions League on Tuesday and El Clasico on the horizon, Flick was clear that looking beyond Betis would be a mistake, so Raphinha’s return could hardly be better timed. Victory tonight would stretch Barcelona’s perfect league record to nine from nine. Kick-off at La Cartuja is at 6.30pm local time, 5.30pm in the UK.
