Flick: Emery is one of the best coaches in Europe, and I will help Balde regain his confidence

Hans Flick, the head coach of FC Barcelona, discussed his team's preparations for the upcoming match against Aston Villa in the UEFA Champions League. He also addressed several issues concerning his players, notably the defensive absences, Alejandro Balde's situation, and Gavi's limited participation.

Flick praised Raphinha's performance, saying: "I don't know what's happening with him in Brazil, that's not my area of expertise, but he is performing wonderfully with us, and he has strengths that benefit us a lot. He is very focused and adapts to opponents by looking for spaces he can exploit. I am very happy to have him at this level."

Regarding the possibility of Gerard Martín playing as a left-back, he clarified: "In our plans, he can play in both the center-back and left-back positions, and we will see what happens tomorrow."

He also spoke about the understanding between Lamine Yamal and Farinas, adding: "There is a good understanding between them, they are friends, Farinas is one of the options available for tomorrow's match, but there are other options."

Barcelona coach addressed Gavi's limited playing time, stating: "We all know his abilities, and he is always one of the available options; I have spoken to him, and the most important thing is for him to have confidence."

Regarding the criticisms about the defensive weakness, he explained: "We have four absences in the defense line, and they are players with great quality, and it is not easy to deal with this situation, but what I saw against Alavés is that everyone helped the team and took responsibility to provide support, like Farinas and De Jong. I hope that Erik, Kobarci, and Christensen will definitely be ready after the break."

Flick has dismissed the idea that failing to win against top teams is a problem, stating: "No, the result could have been different against Real Madrid, as well as against Paris Saint-Germain."

Regarding the possibility of thinking about facing Atlético, he emphasized his focus on the upcoming match: "I am focusing on Aston Villa, Unai Emery is one of the best coaches in Europe, and his team knows how to play both defensively and offensively. It will be a tough match, and the UEFA Champions League is a special competition, and the opponents have quality."

Flick spoke about Balde's situation, explaining: "What is happening with him is natural; when you don't play regularly, you don't have enough confidence. I see him training well, but we have to choose what is best for the team, and João Cancelo is performing at a great level. When I say his confidence has dropped, I realize that it may affect him, and I spoke with him after the last press conference. I respect him a lot; he is young, but he is a great person and very hardworking. I will help him regain his confidence."

Regarding Andreas Christensen's condition, he said: "We have to wait, he trained yesterday, but he only participated in the positioning part, his condition is good, but we need to wait until the end of the week."

Regarding how the team is dealing with injuries, he said: "When you look at the injuries, you have to focus, and that is what we are doing well. There was a mistake at the end, and that happens sometimes, but I saw good work and conviction in what we are delivering."

He concluded his statements by talking about Unai Emery, the manager of Aston Villa, saying: "He is one of the best coaches in Europe, and I really admire his team's style of play. They have high confidence in ball possession and in building attacks, and I am also impressed by their defensive organization. Everything is very clear, Jackson is performing amazingly, it will be a tough match against a great coach."