Hansi Flick insists Barcelona will use "no excuses" when his injury-hit side head to Villarreal for Sunday's LaLiga clash.

Midfielder Fermin Lopez suffered a muscular problem in his right thigh while training on Tuesday, becoming the latest addition to Barca's growing list of injured absentees.

New signing Dani Olmo is sidelined for at least a month with a hamstring injury, alongside fellow midfielders Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Marc Bernal, and defensive pair Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen.

Though struggling with limited selection options due to the fitness issues plaguing the visitors' squad, Flick is adamant the LaLiga leaders can adapt to find a workaround.

"When we started the season, I said there would be no excuses," Flick said. "We're going to be able to manage the game, although we'll be careful with some players carrying a lot of load.

"Tomorrow we'll manage this, although I'm sure that those who come on will be at 100%. The medical team is helping us and we are taking special care with [Pau] Cubarsi, who has been recovering."

Barcelona have made a perfect start to the LaLiga season under the German, with five straight wins putting them top of the standings, four points ahead of defending champions Real Madrid.

The only blemish on the Blaugrana's record came in Thursday's 2-1 defeat against Monaco, with Eric Garcia dismissed just 10 minutes into the Champions League opener.

"We have a great team, and we have shown it," Flick added. "Every season it's the same, there are weeks when you lose several players, but as a coach, it's something you have to accept.

"Now we have to focus on those who are available to prepare them for the next game."

Flick will at least be able to call upon returning forward Ansu Fati, who has scored four goals in six games against Villarreal in LaLiga, his most against one opponent in the competition.

Fati, along with Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski, will hope to cover the midfield void with their attacking prowess that has propelled Barcelona to success this term.

Indeed, Barcelona are the top-scoring team in Europe's top five leagues this season with 17 goals, a tally that they will aim to add to on Sunday.

Spain saw off Japan 3-0 to reach the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics thanks to Fermin Lopez's superb double and a harsh VAR call.

Barcelona youngster Fermin, who played a bit-part role as Spain won Euro 2024, slammed in a sublime strike in each half of Friday's quarter-final in Lyon.

Having beat the despairing dive of Leo Kokubo with a long-range left-footed effort in the 11th minute, Fermin took centre stage again midway through the second half as he lashed in with an expertly controlled volley after taking the ball down on his chest.

Matters could have been vastly different had a first-half equaliser for Japan been allowed to stand, however.

Mao Hosoya brilliantly spun Pau Cubarsi to arrow home, only for the goal to be disallowed for the forward's right foot to have been millimetres offside as he tussled with the Spanish centre-back.

Hosoya was denied by Spain goalkeeper Arnau Tenas late on, but La Roja added gloss to an ultimately convincing win when captain Abel Ruiz poked in from close range after Japan failed to clear their lines from a set-piece.

Kota Takai struck the crossbar in one last fruitless attempt for Japan, and Spain will now ready themselves for a last-four tie with Morocco.

Data Debrief: Fabulous Fermin

Spain have one of the strongest squads at the tournament, and Fermin is possibly the standout.

He showed all his quality with his fantastic long-range finishes, which came from a combined expected goals (xG) of just 0.03.

Fermin had five shots in total, and hit the target with four of them, as he moved into joint-second place in the goalscoring charts with three, behind Morocco's Soufiane Rahimi.

Barcelona coach Xavi reached 100 league games in charge of the club with a 2-0 win over Almeria, and although being on the verge of a second-place finish in LaLiga, he made it clear that he wants to win championships.

Xavi, who last month reversed his decision to leave the club at the end of the season, said he is concentrating on the future with changes already in mind for the club.

"I have every ambition to win titles. The economic situation is not the best and we are working to reverse it. We are planning the next season and I see it as an opportunity," Xavi told a press conference.

"We are getting the games ready to play the Super Cup next year. I really want Barca to win titles again.

"This year we haven't competed well enough to win them, but we've come close. I'm eager, excited and ambitious."

Xavi spent 17 years at Barcelona, making 767 appearances and winning 25 trophies, including four Champions Leagues and eight LaLiga titles.

Despite being a club great and winning LaLiga last year as coach, he has come under pressure this season after failing to catch Real Madrid, who have already secured the title, and losing to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals.

There are also the challenges of a bloated wage bill and a 1.6 billion euro ($1.7 billion) renovation project at the Camp Nou stadium.

But Xavi is clear that the club will fight to change.

"It's not an easy or pleasant situation. We want to win titles and we haven't done our homework, but we have a very good squad and I am happy with the level of ambition of the players," he added.

"We tell the players the importance of finishing second, but I want to compete and fight for titles."

Fermin Lopez's brace sealed a 2-0 win over bottom side Almeria on Thursday, with Barca now four points clear of Girona in third, with two games to play.

"I'm happy to help the team with goals and for the win, which we needed. We're going to fight for second place until the end and we're on the right track," said Fermin.

Robert Lewandowski scored a crucial late goal as a nervy Barcelona edged into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over Napoli.

Lewandowski’s 83rd-minute effort finally finished off the Italians at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium with Barca progressing 4-2 on aggregate.

Barca had stormed ahead with goals in quick succession from Fermin Lopez and Joao Cancelo but Napoli hit back through Amir Rrahmani and were threatening an equaliser before Lewandowski had the last word.

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen had the first chance of what proved an open game but failed to trouble Marc-Andre Ter Stegen before Lopez dragged a shot wide at the other end.

That proved a sighter for Lopez, who opened the scoring after 15 minutes following a flowing Barca move.

Cancelo was involved on the left before Raphinha reached the byline and pulled the ball back invitingly in front of goal. Lewandowski cleverly left the ball for the inrushing Lopez and he sidefooted firmly home.

Barca doubled their lead just two minutes later after Lamine Yamal controlled a high ball on the edge of his own box and launched a rapid counter-attack.

He broke deep into Napoli territory and then released Raphinha, who cut inside on to his right foot and thumped a shot against the post. As the ball rebounded, Cancelo was on hand to tuck away.

It seemed the Catalan giants were cruising but Napoli served warning they were not out of the contest as Osimhen tested Ter Stegen, although he was given offside.

The Italian side grabbed a goal back after 30 minutes as Matteo Politano pulled the ball back across the area and Rrahmani met it with a nice left-foot finish.

They then threatened an equaliser before the break as Giovanni Di Lorenzo got forward but Ter Stegen tipped over his dipping header.

Napoli pushed again after the break and wanted a penalty after Osimhen went down following a challenge from Pau Cubarsi but nothing was given.

Barca were forced to defend deep and struggled to get out of their half until Raphinha forced Alex Meret to save from a free-kick after 67 minutes.

Yamal then turned the ball into the net after a Lewandowski header was saved but it was ruled out for offside.

Ilkay Gundogan had a shot on the turn saved by Meret as Barca began to regain control but they were almost caught out when Jesper Lindstrom planted a header narrowly wide for Napoli.

Lewandowski claimed Barca’s decisive third goal seven minutes from time with a close-range finish after neat interplay between Gundogan and Sergi Roberto.

Napoli were not quite done as substitute Mathias Olivera rattled the woodwork and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sent a ferocious drive inches wide, but Barca had done enough.

Barcelona booked their place in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey despite an unconvincing display in a 3-2 victory over fourth-tier Barbastro.

Fermin Lopez, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski were on target for Xavi’s side in a match which also saw their opponents score twice through Adria de Mesa and Marc Prat.

LaLiga giants Barca lacked a cutting edge and presented chances to Barbastro in what turned out to be a hotly-contested tie.

Barca were camped in the attacking third before they took a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute.

The visitors won possession in midfield before Raphinha was found out wide. The Brazil winger stormed forward and picked out Lopez, who expertly scored with a first-time shot to give his side the advantage.

After 41 minutes the Spanish champions thought they had doubled their lead but Joao Felix’s effort was ruled offside.

Lopez turned creator and floated a ball on to the head of the potent Felix, who nodded his effort past Arnau Fabrega. The Portugal international appeared to have perfectly timed his run but Barca were denied the chance to add another.

The Catalan side strengthened their position in the 51st minute through Raphinha.

Seventeen-year-old full-back Hector Fort cut inside and sent a dipped ball to the back post where the former Leeds winger evaded his marker and volleyed home to make it 2-0.

But on the hour Barbastro scored an unlikely goal to halve the deficit.

The hosts sent men forward for a corner and a whipped delivery into the area challenged Barca’s defenders, who failed to clear their lines. Barbastro striker De Mesa was alert and got on the end of the loose ball to grab one back.

Xavi turned to the bench and brought on Lewandowski. The Poland striker instantly had an impact, winning a header and forcing an error from the defender whose backwards pass to keeper Manas was intercepted by Ferran Torres.

But typical of Barca’s day, Torres failed to hold his nerve and a poor touch saw the opportunity go begging.

Lewandowski sealed the tie when he scored from the spot in the 88th minute.

After a clear handball in the box, the former Bayern Munich star hopped, skipped, jumped and sent Manu the wrong way as he rolled his effort into the bottom-right corner.

Prat also scored from the spot in added-time but it was too late and Barca sealed a 3-2 win.

Group H leaders Barcelona moved a step closer to reaching the Champions League knockout stages after a 2-1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.

Barca made it three wins from as many matches through goals from Ferran Torres and Fermin Lopez before they held on in the second half after Heorhiy Sudakov’s 62nd-minute strike.

Xavi’s men produced moments of quality with a rotated side ahead of Saturday’s El Clasico against Real Madrid at Nou Camp in LaLiga.

Barca nearly had a dream start after seven minutes. Oriol Romeu’s high press forced the turnover in Shakhtar’s box which allowed Lopez to jink inside and shoot, but the midfielder’s effort was kept out by Dmytro Riznyk.

Barca’s persistence paid off when they opened the scoring in the 28th minute through Torres.

Lopez picked up another dangerous position inside the box and his effort cannoned off the post into the path of Torres who smashed home.

VAR initially deemed the goal offside but the ruling was overturned after Lopez held his run long enough.

And the potent Lopez doubled Barca’s lead in the 36th minute in spectacular fashion.

The La Masia youth product marauded into the open space from midfield, beat his man with a feint before producing a rocket on his right foot which saw the ball smash off the post into the back of the net.

The goal, which was Lopez’s second of the season, was completely deserved after the 20-year-old dazzled in the first half under the lights at Nou Camp.

The LaLiga champions started where they left off in the second half and came close through Joao Felix, who was denied by Riznyk from a tight angle.

The visitors persisted in their plan of playing out from the back which encouraged blue and red shirts to swarm them in possession as they struggled to deal with the relentless Barca press.

But Shakhtar stunned Xavi’s men when they struck against the run of play to make it 2-1.

Felix lost possession and Shakhtar advanced into the Barca half through Irakli Azarovi who picked out the rapid Sudakov and he ghosted past Romeu and held his nerve with a blasted effort past Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

Moments after Lopez hit the post in the 68th minute, his headed effort was ruled offside as Barca tried for a third.