Hansi Flick has challenged Frenkie de Jong to earn his spot in the Barcelona line-up as the Blaugrana prepare to face Las Palmas in LaLiga on Saturday.
The 27-year-old midfielder was sidelined for several months this year due to a persistent ankle injury before returning to action in October.
De Jong has featured from the bench on four occasions in the Spanish top-flight since and was withdrawn at half-time in a 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad before the international break in his only start this term.
The Netherlands international was also booed during Barca's 3-0 win against Brest in the Champions League on Tuesday.
"He must deal with this situation. He must regain his confidence," Flick said.
"We look at every game to win. We want to play with the best team and based on that we make the eleven.
"He will be back, but it takes time. For me he was injured and now he is progressing well, and personally, three or four weeks ago, when he started playing, he had a different mentality.
"Now he's back after the international break and we support him, but we have a lot of midfielders. Those who are at 100% will play. He has to show the level. He is progressing, we follow him and we support him."
De Jong made 20 appearances and scored two goals for the club during the 2023-24 LaLiga season, despite ankle issues hampering his campaign on multiple occasions.
Leaders Barcelona are winless in two matches in LaLiga, having also settled for a 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo last week, but enjoy a four-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid, who have a game in hand.
It is a marked difference in results for Flick's side, who had won 15 of their previous 16 league matches prior to their defeat to Sociedad.
Making it more challenging for Barca is a run of five games in 19 days, when they will play Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and Atletico Madrid in LaLiga.
"I think I speak for the whole team when I say that the best thing today is to win Saturday's game," the Barcelona boss said.
"We don't care what happens next Tuesday or in Dortmund. What concerns us and occupies us is the game against Las Palmas. We want to build on what we saw against Brest.
"We want to show this, also to the fans. The best players will play, and those who are the best."
Flick will be boosted by the return of Lamine Yamal, who has missed their last three matches.
Barca have not won a single LaLiga game without the 17-year-old in the starting 11. They won 11 games with him starting and lost twice and drew once in matches where he did not start.
"He's back, he's ready to play. I don't know if he will start. But he will play," Flick said.
"I hope the team is well prepared. It showed in the session. Some players are coming back. We are in a good situation."
Alonso striving for consistency from Leverkusen upon Bundesliga return
Xabi Alonso wants his Bayer Leverkusen side to show they have rediscovered their consistency when they take on Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
After going without a win in three games in all competitions, Leverkusen have put together back-to-back victories, scoring 10 goals in the process.
Leverkusen's 5-2 victory against Heidenheim last time out saw them come from two goals down to win a Bundesliga game for the first time since April 2016 (3-2 at Schalke).
Their victory in the Champions League over RB Salzburg in midweek, however, was a little more straightforward after cruising to a 5-0 triumph against the Austrian side.
It was Leverkusen's joint-biggest win in their major European football history, while also registering their third Champions League win this season, the first time they had done so since the 2014-15 season (four wins).
Yet they have managed three consecutive victories across all competitions only once this season, something Alonso acknowledged must improve.
"We want to have again a good feeling. After (the win over) Heidenheim it was better, and it was certainly better after Salzburg," coach Alonso told a press conference.
"Tomorrow is a different game... but it is a good moment to show that after two good games we can play a third good one in a row. I want another clean sheet tomorrow."
The reigning champions find themselves fourth in the Bundesliga table, nine points off leaders Bayern Munich, who face Borussia Dortmund in the late kick-off on Saturday.
Leverkusen have managed just one win in their last four top-flight games, though Alonso has reason to be confident of adding three points to their tally this weekend.
They are unbeaten in their last 22 Bundesliga away games (W16, D6). In league history, only Bayern have ever put together longer undefeated streaks on the road (33 games from 2012 to 2014 and 26 games from 1985 to 1987). The Werkself have also scored in all 22 of these fixtures, an ongoing club record.
"We know we expect something different against Union and a big challenge in front of us," Alonso said. "We have to be prepared for a physical game."
Simeone: Atletico 'growing' but must improve despite winning run
Diego Simeone insisted that Atletico Madrid's six-game winning run does not overshadow the need for improvements ahead of facing Real Valladolid this Saturday.
Atletico are now 15th in the Champions League table following their 6-0 victory over Sparta Prague in midweek, their biggest ever away winning margin in a major European competition.
Their triumph at the Stadion Letna made it six consecutive wins in all competitions, and Simeone will be confident of keeping that run going this weekend.
Atletico have won six of their last seven LaLiga away games against Real Valladolid (D1), recording one more victory than in their previous 20 visits to the Blanquivioleta's home ground in the competition (W5 D7 L8).
And despite winning four of their last five games in LaLiga (L1), Simeone insisted that his team are not at the peak of their powers just yet.
"It was not so bad before and not so good now. Extremes are never good and everyone can have their own opinion," Simeone said.
"We have a competitive team when we win and when we lose, even if there are bad moments that we always have to go through. The team is improving and growing.
"The basis is that those who come in are doing very well, not just the eleven who start.
"We can improve in all facets, defensively and offensively, we have to find stability and find the best version of each one of us.
"I am happy with what is happening to the team, but I know the responsibility we have."
Simeone has also not lost any of his 12 matches as Atletico boss against Real Valladolid in LaLiga (W11 D1). Only against Getafe (G23 W19 D4) has he managed more matches without losing in the competition.
Simeone's side sit third in the table, five points behind leaders Barcelona after 14 games so far this season.
Atletico have shown signs of replicating their 2020-21 LaLiga success with their performances this term, especially in defence, having conceded just eight times which is the fewest in the division.
But when asked if he felt like his side were currently better than the two teams ahead of them in the table, Simeone said: "I don't compare myself to anyone.
"We look at ourselves and try to improve and grow as a team every day, regardless of what happens to everyone else."
Real Valladolid have lost 13 of their last 14 matches against Atletico in LaLiga, drawing the other match during this period.
It is the second-worst winless streak for Valladolid in the top-flight after a 16-match run against Real Madrid between 2009 and 2024 (D2 L14).
Though Paulo Pezzolano's side find themselves at the bottom of the table, Simeone insisted that his players must not underestimate their opponents.
"They're a highly competitive team, they always play with great commitment and great collective behaviour," Simeone said.
"Very intense, higher than in the last few games we've played."
Dortmund's Guirassy 'a step further' to featuring in Bayern clash, says Sahin
Borussia Dortmund boss Nuri Sahin is hopeful striker Serhou Guirassy will be ready to play a bigger part against Bayern Munich after his return from a brief illness.
Guirassy was down with a virus for a few days before returning as a substitute against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League on Wednesday and scoring in the 3-0 win.
He has scored six times in the Bundesliga this season, a total only bettered by Jonathan Burkardt, Tim Kleindienst (both seven), Omar Marmoush (11) and Harry Kane (14).
Guirassy's return will be a huge boost for Dortmund, who are aiming to maintain their unbeaten top-flight record at home this term, having won all six of their matches so far.
Asked whether Guirassy will start in the crunch Bundesliga clash against leaders Bayern, Sahin said: "We expect that he will be a step further."
"Obviously, he is a very important player for us. A player like him can change a game's entire structure.
"He handled his substitute appearance in Zagreb well after his illness," the Dortmund boss added.
This Saturday's meeting will be the 136th top-flight clash between the two sides, making this the most contested fixture in German professional football.
Bayern have suffered more defeats to Dortmund in all competitions than against any other side (33, most recently 2-0 at home in March).
However, Dortmund have also recorded more losses against Bayern than anyone else (67).
"It is the biggest game in Germany, the one that gets the most exposure and I think it will be the biggest for quite some time," said Sahin.
"It is special to be in this role for such a game."
Bayern have won their last five Bundesliga games without conceding a goal and can match a six-match run achieved under Pep Guardiola in 2014 if they win without conceding against Dortmund.
"Bayern defend high and that creates spaces at the back but they keep the opponents away," the Dortmund coach said.
"There will be spaces for us to play in but they have not conceded a goal in some games now."
"We have the expectation to win at home. There's no reason not to have that expectation with six wins from six home games. But the fact is Bayern are ahead on points and it is a chance for us to close the gap."
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