Hansi Flick fully trusts Barcelona and has no complaints over his squad ahead of their opening LaLiga clash at Valencia.
Barca, who finished second behind fierce rivals Real Madrid in LaLiga last season, have so far signed attacking midfielder Dani Olmo and fellow Spaniard Pau Victor in the transfer window.
Flick replaced Xavi at the Catalan side after they sacked the former midfielder in May, just four weeks after he confirmed he would honour the last year of his contract.
And the 59-year-old, who led Bayern Munich to two Bundesliga titles and one Champions League victory, a Club World Cup and Super Cup crown, among other honours, said he was happy with his team.
"I am satisfied with the squad I have, the rest is a question mark," Flick told reporters on Friday.
"When I signed my contract, I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I trust the club blindly. And I am happy with the team, with what it offers. We have injured players who will gradually come back. We are still a strong team."
Flick confirmed that Olmo, who helped Spain win Euro 2024, will not be available to face Valencia.
"Olmo is not in good physical condition, he started late, and we will look after him. He won't be here. We want everyone to be well and play injury-free," he said.
The head coach did, however, confirm Lamine Yamal, whose father Mounir Nasraoui is in a 'serious but stable' condition after being stabbed on Wednesday in a car park in the northeastern Spanish town of Mataro, according to Spanish national TV broadcaster TVE, would play.
Valencia finished ninth in LaLiga last season, and the German is not expecting an easy outing for his first competitive game in charge of Barcelona.
"I am very much looking forward to this first game. Valencia is a special place," he said.
"It will be a tough game. Our opponents have shown that they play good, attacking football. You have to watch your lines... It will be difficult."
Pressure – what pressure? Man Utd new boy Zirkzee shrugs off debut nerves
Joshua Zirkzee is not feeling any pressure as he looks to make his mark at Manchester United.
Having come on from the bench to make his United debut, Zirkzee scored in the 87th minute to seal a 1-0 win over Fulham on Friday in the first Premier League match of the 2024-25 season.
Zirkzee joined United from Serie A club Bologna in July, and with Rasmus Hojlund injured, swiftly made an impact at Old Trafford.
And the former Bayern Munich attacker knows it is about as good a start as he could have asked for.
Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: "It's the perfect one, no? In front of the Stretford End. And a win as well, it couldn't be any better.
"It's been very good [since I arrived]. The group have been amazing, I feel very comfortable and at home here. I'm having a very good time.
"Of course it's a big club, but we just work hard every day and focus on what we want to achieve, and that's being the best we can be. At the moment I don't really feel any pressure.
"I look forward to working with everyone here. That includes all the staff. Everyone has been great.
"Of course having Ruud van Nistlerooy in the staff as a striker, you have to be grateful for that. Everyone has been great, it's a pleasure to be here."
Following Zirkzee's winner this evening, 22 players have now scored in their first Premier League appearance for United, with only Chelsea (27) and Aston Villa (26) having more debutant scorers in the competition's history.
Zirkzee, meanwhile, is the 15th Dutch player to score on his Premier League debut, and the fourth to do so while at United, after Van Nistelrooy, Alexander Buttner and Donny van de Beek.
His goal came from his only attempt on target.
"It was very important to get the first goal as a striker," said manager Erik ten Hag.
"For him it is very pleasing because strikers have to score. That is the first ability you have to show when you come as a striker to a new club."
Manchester United 1-0 Fulham: Zirkzee the hero on Red Devils debut
Joshua Zirkzee scored a late winner on his Manchester United debut as the Red Devils claimed a 1-0 victory over Fulham in the first Premier League match of 2024-25.
After recording their lowest-ever Premier League finish last season, United looked set to be frustrated at Old Trafford on Friday until their new striker diverted a deft finish past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno in the 87th minute.
Introduced midway through the second half by Erik ten Hag, Zirkzee applied the crucial touch to fellow substitute Alejandro Garnacho’s teasing centre to settle the contest.
Bruno Fernandes had earlier squandered United’s best chances, with Leno in excellent form for the visitors, making two saves from the Portuguese playmaker in swift succession.
Leno denied Mason Mount at the start of the second half, though Fulham were left to rue some missed openings at the other end when Zirkzee charged into the area to nudge home.
Alejandro Garnacho fluffed his lines when teed up by Marcus Rashford deep in second-half stoppage time, but the miss did not prove costly as United secured a winning start to the new campaign.
Data Debrief: Dutch delight
Zirkzee became the 15th Dutch player to score on his Premier League debut, with four of those doing so for United (also Ruud van Nistelrooy, Alexander Buttner and Donny van de Beek).
His goal ensured United have more wins (22) and more points (70) from their opening games of Premier League campaigns than any other side. The Red Devils are featuring in their 100th season in top-flight football, making them the fifth different team to reach the milestone after Everton, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Arsenal.
Le Havre 1-4 Paris-Saint-Germain: Les Parisiens start title defence emphatic late win
French champions Paris Saint-Germain won 4-1 at Le Havre on Friday, capitalising on a late collapse by the hosts to get their Ligue 1 season off to an excellent start.
PSG opened the scoring after three minutes when Goncalo Ramos found Lee Kang-in inside the box and he sent a left-foot shot into the net.
The visitors' joy was short-lived, however, as Ramos was hurt in a challenge and the Portuguese international had to be replaced by Randal Kolo Muani, who rattled the crossbar shortly after entering the fray.
The hosts, who had a goal chalked off in the first half for offside, shocked PSG after the break as Gautier Lloris in the 48th minute, before Josue Casimir's goal was disallowed following a VAR decision for handball in the build-up.
Lee was then inches away from a second as he struck the woodwork, but five minutes before the end, the Le Havre defence went missing as three PSG substitutes ran riot.
Ousmane Dembele headed home in the 85th minute before Bradley Barcola added a third as he cut inside from the right less than two minutes later.
Kolo Muani then completed the rout from the penalty spot after he was brought down by Lloris' late tackle in the box
Data Debrief: PSG leave it late
While it was three late goals that wrapped up the three points, Lee actually scored the earliest first goal of a Ligue 1 season (after two minutes and four seconds) since the one scored by Mamadou Niang for Marseille in August 2009 against Grenoble (1:42).
PSG are the first team to score at least three goals from the 85th minute in the same Ligue 1 game since Monaco in November 2016 against Nancy (also three).
Luis Enrique's side are now unbeaten in their last 25 Ligue 1 away games (winning 20, drawing five), extending the longest such run in their history.
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