Flick stays coy on Szczesny or Livakovic as Barca's starting goalkeeper against Sevilla

Joan Garcia is out of the trip to Sevilla, and at the Camp Nou (or wherever Barca happen to be training these days) nobody yet knows who will guard the goal. That's the quick summary of Hansi Flick's press conference, where the coach dropped several hints about what's coming for the Blaugrana squad before the international break.

Let's take it step by step. The starting goalkeeper picked up an injury against Racing and won't be available for the club's next league fixture. He also wasn't called up by the Spanish national team, which might sound alarming, but Flick moved quickly to play down the situation:

We always decide together, with the player and the medical staff. It's not a big injury, but he needs to rest and he's out for this match.Hansi Flick

Szczesny or Livakovic between the posts?

The question everyone wants answered is who will start in goal in Sevilla: the experienced Szczesny or the recently arrived Livakovic? Flick didn't clear things up, and in the process, he took the heat off the Polish keeper's mistake against Racing. He spoke about Szczesny's time at the club, recalling that first season when the team won LaLiga, and made clear that his trust remains intact:

We have quality in goal. For Tek, looking back, especially in that first season, we won LaLiga and he was one of the reasons why. He's a fantastic goalkeeper and he has a lot of experience.Hansi Flick

On the specific mistake, he downplayed the drama: "We all make mistakes. I talked to him and he told me he knew he'd gotten himself into trouble after the first touch." And he left the door open for Livakovic, though without committing: "Tek knows exactly how we play; Dominik just arrived and is still adapting. He's available, he's ready, and it's up to us to decide what's best for the team. We'll see tomorrow whether it's Szczesny or Livakovic."

More rotation on the way

The goalkeeper spot won't be the only change. Flick has been shuffling his lineup in recent matches, and Sevilla won't be any different. That said, he did commit to one certainty: Pau Cubarsi will return to the starting eleven after being rested against Racing.

The German coach also heaped praise on two players who were key figures in that win: Adeyemi and Raphinha. On the former, he highlighted his speed and even compared him to another familiar name: "The fastest player I've ever coached? I'm not sure, I think Alphonso Davies might be too." But he went further when discussing the winger's arrival at the club: "He has my full trust, 100 percent, and I hope to see more performances like Wednesday's from him."

As for Raphinha, Flick pointed to something beyond goals: his work without the ball. "We start our pressing from the number 9. Raphinha has the hunger, the intensity, the mentality and the attitude, he's incredible and that's exactly what we need," Flick said, stressing that the Brazilian "doesn't just score goals, he also starts the defense."

Asked about the Madrid derby between Real Madrid and Atletico, being played the same weekend, Flick preferred to keep the focus internal: "For us, it's important to concentrate on what we can control. We want to keep winning, and that's what we'll try to do in Sevilla."