900 Minutes for Rodri: Flick’s Management of His Barcelona Appearances Raises Questions

Rodri quickly established himself in Barcelona’s midfield and has played 900 minutes, according to a report by Sport, which examined questions over how Hansi Flick is managing his appearances and physical workload. Only Lamine Yamal, Juan García and Pau Cubarsí have played more minutes.

Rodri arrived after an unusual pre-season, following the Spanish national team’s World Cup triumph, and suffered back pain that required a minor surgical procedure. The coaching staff drew up a special physical training program for him, while the player said in a radio interview that Flick’s training sessions were demanding, contrary to his expectation of sessions focused on passing and possession.

Rodri was eased in gradually: he was left out of the squad for the Elche match, then came on as a substitute against Athletic Bilbao and Rayo Vallecano for 27 and 26 minutes. After starting against Valencia and playing 62 minutes, he continued in the starting lineup in the league. He was left on the bench against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, then played the final half hour of the match in which Barcelona suffered their first defeat of the season.

Flick explained that resting Rodri against Paris was a workload-management decision, with the Real Madrid match five days later in mind. The player returned to the starting lineup and played the entire clásico. His staying on the pitch until the final whistle against Alavés then raised fresh questions, despite Barcelona leading by four goals at half-time and Flick resting Pedri, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal.

Barcelona are preparing to face Aston Villa and then Atlético Madrid before the international break, as the team seeks to stay close to the top of the European competition and retain its lead in La Liga. The report considers Rodri likely to continue playing a key role in both matches, after the team stumbled against Paris and lost the clásico.