Hansi Flick did not offer any excuses after Barcelona's poor performance in their shock 1-0 defeat away to Real Sociedad on Sunday evening.

Sheraldo Becker scored the only goal for the hosts in the first half, with Barca offering little while searching for a comeback. 

The defeat ended Barcelona's run of seven straight victories in all competitions, although they remain six points ahead of Real Madrid – who have a game in hand – at the top of LaLiga.

"Today was not our day," Flick told a press conference.

"I think we have to accept this result because they played decisively. It's clear, there are no excuses. We didn't create enough chances.

"We started well with the ball, I was happy, but then we started to suffer and their goal came. We also made some bad decisions and that's something we have to live with."

Barcelona had scored in every game they had played in all competitions this season until Sunday, although they did not even manage a shot on target at the Reale Arena.

It is just the second time they have failed to do so since at least the 2003-04 season, after a match against Malaga in September 2014.

Real Sociedad arguably could have won by a wider margin after creating 14 chances and generating 1.85 expected goals (xG). The Barcelona defence made plenty of errors, which was something that concerned Flick.

"The responsibility for the defeat is ours. We could and should have played much better," Flick said.

"We haven't held possession of the ball the way we wanted and suffered. But the games we have played before have been fantastic, and I appreciate what the team has done so far this season.

"We tried until the last second, united, and I told the team that. But today we weren't strong enough to deserve a better result."

Lamine Yamal may not be fit to feature for Barcelona against Real Sociedad in Sunday's LaLiga clash, says head coach Hansi Flick.

Yamal has been training alone in an attempt to recover after a hectic schedule for the Blaugrana.

Pau Cubarsi is in contention, however, after suffering a facial injury in Wednesday's 5-2 Champions League win at Red Star Belgrade.

Cubarsi participated in a full training session with the team, though 17-year-old Yamal was not present.

"Lamine was inside and he did specific strength training. He has had a lot of matches in the last few weeks so we took care of him and let him [train separately] indoors. We will see what his situation is tomorrow," Flick told reporters on Saturday.

Flick heaped praise on Robert Lewandowski, who has scored 19 goals in 16 appearances across all competitions.

"He is in very good shape. I am also impressed with how he helps the defence. For me, there are no thoughts about giving him a rest," he added.

"Dani [Olmo] felt a little bit unwell at night but this morning he is doing better, so with him just treatments and medicine, I think he is ready for tomorrow against Sociedad."

La Real have fared better on the road, collecting 11 of their 15 points away and losing four of their six home matches, with their only victory in front of their own fans coming against lowly Valencia.

Barcelona, on 33 points from 12 matches, are six points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who have 27 from 12 games.

Hansi Flick was delighted with Barcelona's focus and determination as they earned a commanding 5-2 win at Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League.

Robert Lewandowski scored twice to set them on their way, with Inigo Martinez, Raphinha and Fermi Lopez also getting on the scoresheet as Barcelona remained in control throughout.

It was a victory that lifted Barca to sixth place in the 36-team Champions League table on nine points, having scored a competition-leading 15 goals in four games.

In fact, Barcelona have netted 55 goals in 16 games across all competitions in 2024-25, the most of any team from the big-five European leagues. Meanwhile, their 14 wins are the joint-most of any side, along with Liverpool.

After a third consecutive triumph in the Champions League, Flick said he liked how his side got things done with the seriousness required.

"The most important thing is the three points. It's not easy to win away from home in this competition, the Champions League is complicated," Flick, who led Bayern Munich to the 2020 Champions League title, told Movistar Plus.

"I'm very happy, I really value what we're doing. We've been very good on the ball, and we've put a lot of pressure on.

"Red Star played very well, they knew how to play with the ball, and it's difficult to defend against them. I really appreciate my players being focused for 90 minutes because it's not easy."

Lewandowski's double means he is level with team-mate Raphinha, Bayern Munich's Harry Kane and Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres as the competition's top scorer with five goals.

The Pole has scored 19 goals in 16 appearances for Barcelona this season; the most of any player for a team in Europe’s big-five leagues across all competitions. 11 of those 19 goals have come in away matches, which is also the most of any player this term.

And Lewandowski is thrilled with Flick's aggressive approach.

"Since the beginning of the season we have had a goal: we have to play a very attacking football but without losing sight of how well our defensive line has been playing," Lewandowski said.

"Everything that works so far is almost perfect. We have to look at what we can do better, sure, but I feel very good, the team is very happy.

"I think in this new Champions League format, winning away games is very important. In the first half, we played a bit slow, but in the second half, we had a lot of chances.

"Sometimes, when a team plays very defensively like Red Star today, we need a bit of patience. I'm always looking for a free space to be able to touch a ball and score. That's why I'm very happy. As a team, we played very well."

Hansi Flick tempered expectations of Barcelona's chances of silverware in his first season in charge ahead of facing Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League. 

Flick has led Barca to 13 wins from 15 games in all competitions, scoring 50 goals in those games while conceding just 14 times. 

Some standout matches have seen Barca thrash Clasico rivals Real Madrid 4-0 while also brushing aside Bayern Munich 4-1 in the Champions League in their last match in the competition. 

While Flick understood the fans' excitement after those results, he urged his side to keep their feet on the ground with a long season still in front of them. 

"We have to work hard. There are many teams who dream of the same thing, of winning (the Champions League)," Flick said. 

"For the moment, we're going to focus on working hard and grinding out, so then we'll see what happens. We have to focus on our goal which is to keep improving.

"A team's form fluctuates a lot over a long season. The important thing is to focus on winning the next match. Sure, after the match against Bayern everything changed.

"But we are just starting. The important thing is how we finish the season. We could say that our goal is to be in the top eight."

Flick, however, insisted he was not surprised by his side's impressive start to the campaign despite enduring a trophyless season last term. 

Barca are nine points clear at the top of LaLiga and 11th in the Champions League table ahead of facing Red Star, who are without a win from their three games so far.

"Before we came here we analysed the whole team, every player. We realised that there was very good quality overall," Flick said.

"Another thing to point out is that we wanted to improve how we defend and did small changes in the way we play. The players liked it and they are happy working on it.

"The players play a big role, they are helping us a lot.

"The start was already good on the pre-season in North American and the players are very happy, although there are still many things to improve."

And Barca will be confident of keeping their fine form going against a side that has lost 81% of their matches in the Champions League (P21 W2 D2 L17). 

This is the first European meeting between the two sides since October 1996 in the Cup Winners’ Cup, a 1-1 draw with Giovanni cancelling out a Zoran Jovicic's opener for the Serbians.

Hansi Flick is loving his time at Barcelona as he celebrated a resounding 4-0 success over Real Madrid in El Clasico.

Flick's side ran out convincing victors at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, with Robert Lewandowski scoring twice in quick succession before Lamine Yamal and Raphinha sealed the result.

Barca snapped a four-game losing streak against their fiercest rivals, while they also ended Madrid's hopes of matching their LaLiga-record unbeaten run of 43 games, which was set under Ernesto Valverde in 2018.

The Blaugrana's win came on the back of a 4-1 thrashing of Flick's former club Bayern Munich, and the ex-Germany coach is enjoying life at Barca.

"I'm delighted to be working at Barcelona and to live in Barcelona," he said after collecting his 10th LaLiga win from 11 games this season.

"It's a fantastic job, I'm very happy.

"We have played a fantastic game and I am so proud.

"We pressed better with and without the ball [in the second half]. We had more possession and that's why the game changed."

Barca's high line was a key factor in their victory, with Madrid caught offside eight times in the first half alone, with Kylian Mbappe in particular struggling to stay on the right side of the defence.

"The defensive effort was key," Flick added.

"We have trained a lot on how to defend with a high line and on how we want to press on the ball. It's also important not to leave spaces when you play Real Madrid because they have incredible players.

"I think we are doing well. We are sticking to our idea and right now we are fluid and we want to move forward."

Lewandowski has now scored 10 goals in 16 meetings with Madrid in all competitions, while he has already netted 14 times in LaLiga this term.

"We are very happy, very happy. To win here like this is a great victory," Lewandowski told DAZN.

"The season is long, but this victory can help us with a lot more, with confidence and football. So far we haven't won anything, but the important thing is that we have a clear idea, we know where we want to go on."

With a respective seven and four-point gap having already developed between first and second and their nearest challengers, Barcelona and Real Madrid look likely to go head-to-head to rule LaLiga once again this season.

After the two sides lit up the Champions League in midweek – Madrid recovering to beat Borussia Dortmund 5-2, while Barcelona trounced Bayern Munich 4-1 – Saturday's Clasico is the must-watch fixture in the European calendar this week.

Hansi Flick's side lead the way with nine wins from his first 10 league games in charge, while Madrid have one of two unbeaten records remaining in the division, alongside neighbours Atletico Madrid.

Carlo Ancelotti's reigning Spanish and European champions have an opportunity not only to knock Barca off the top this weekend, but to earn a slice of history.

They are one game away from matching the longest unbeaten run in the history of LaLiga, recorded by Ernesto Valverde's Barcelona (43) between 2017 and 2018.

Can Los Blancos match their great rivals' feat at the Santiago Bernabeu? Here, we dive into the Opta data to preview the first Clasico of the campaign.

 What's expected? 

Despite Barcelona making a flying start to Flick's reign, it is Madrid who are made favourites by the Opta supercomputer at home.

Ancelotti's team were victorious in 56% of the 10,000 match simulations conducted by the supercomputer, with Barca winning 21.3% and 22.7% finishing all square. 

Madrid have an excellent record versus Barca lately, winning each of their last four matches against them in all competitions. They could now record five straight victories in El Clasico for just the second time in the last 59 years, having done so between 2020 and 2022.

Ancelotti, meanwhile, could become just the third coach to win five or more successive Clasicos in the history of the fixture, after Miguel Munoz between 1962 and 1965 (seven) and Pep Guardiola between 2008 and 2010 (five).

Jude Bellingham struck dramatic winners in both league fixtures between these great rivals last season – a 2-1 triumph in Catalonia last October and a 3-2 victory in Madrid in April.

On their own turf, Madrid have won four of their last five meetings with Barca (one defeat), winning each of their last two.

They have not won three straight home Clasicos in the competition since they enjoyed a run of four consecutive wins between 1988 and 1991, a period in which they won LaLiga three times in four campaigns. 

History beckons for Los Blancos

Incredibly, Madrid have not been beaten in league action since September 25 last year, when they went down 3-1 to rivals Atletico.

Their unbeaten run in LaLiga now stands at 42 matches, with 31 wins and 11 draws in that timeframe. 

Saturday's game offers them the chance to draw level with the mark brought up by Valverde's Barca between April 2017 and May 2018 (34 wins, nine draws). With bottom club Valencia their next opponents after this match, they have a great opportunity to snatch that record outright.

While last season's Clasico hero Bellingham is yet to score in LaLiga this term and has only provided one assist in his six appearances, Madrid have another player with a knack of breaking Barca hearts.

Vinicius Junior has been involved in seven goals in his last four games in El Clasico in all competitions, scoring five goals and laying on two assists.

In total, the Real Madrid forward has scored seven goals in 17 games against Barcelona. They are his second-best goalscoring opponent after Valencia (eight goals).

Vinicius also got Los Blancos' winner as they overcame Celta Vigo 2-1 in their last league game on Saturday, then scored a wonderful hat-trick in Tuesday's comeback victory over Dortmund, taking him to 35 goal involvements (20 goals, 15 assists) in his last 35 Champions League starts.

With the Brazilian dovetailing with Bellingham, Rodrygo and Kylian Mbappe, Madrid have the firepower to halt Barca's brilliant start to life under Flick, and seal their own place in the record books in the process.

Major test for Flick

Flick could hardly have wished for a better start to his tenure at Barca, with a 4-2 defeat at Osasuna last month the only blot on his record in LaLiga. 

Last week's 5-0 rout of Sevilla also took the Blaugrana to 33 goals in 10 league games under Flick. Only Zinedine Zidane has enjoyed a more prolific start through 10 games as a manager in LaLiga this century (34).

Three of the nine players in the big five European Leagues to be involved in 10 or more goals this season, meanwhile, represent Barcelona: Robert Lewandowski (12 goals, two assists), Lamine Yamal (four goals, six assists) and Raphinha (five goals, five assists). 

Only three players from those five leagues have at least five goals and five assists this term: Mohamed Salah (five goals, five assists with Liverpool), Cole Palmer (six goals, five assists with Chelsea) and Raphinha.

Flick got one over on his former club in style on Wednesday, with Raphinha's hat-trick helping them end a run of six straight Champions League meetings with Bayern.

If that result was not enough of a statement, Barcelona achieved it with a youthful starting XI with an average age of 24 years and 185 days, their youngest lineup for a Champions League match since December 2011 versus BATE Borisov (23 years, 93 days).

A trip to the Bernabeu, however, will surely represent Flick's toughest test to date.

Each of the last five Barcelona coaches – Xavi, Ronald Koeman, Quique Setien, Valverde and Luis Enrique – have lost their first competitive Clasico, with Gerardo Martino the last to oversee a victory in his first one (2-1 in 2013). If Flick can buck that trend, it will be advantage Barca in the title race.

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Real Madrid – Vinicius Junior

As well as having a fine record in Clasico matches, Vinicius has also been involved in at least one goal in each of his last six matches in LaLiga (four goals, three assists), netting the winner at Celta Vigo last weekend.

The Brazilian is widely considered the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or and last time out against Dortmund, led all players on the pitch for xG (1.26), shots (seven), shots on target (four) and dribbles completed (six), also creating two chances and contesting a joint-high 16 duels.

Barcelona – Lamine Yamal 

While Raphinha stole the headlines against Bayern in midweek, his fellow winger Yamal also shone, recording an assist as he became the youngest player to make 10 Champions League starts, aged 17 years and 102 days.

He already has six assists in LaLiga this season, becoming the first Barca player to reach that figure within the opening 10 matchdays since Lionel Messi in 2014-15 (seven).

Hansi Flick said that Barcelona's 4-1 victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday has given him and his team a confidence boost ahead of El Clasico on Saturday.

Flick managed their German opponents from 2019-2021 and was delighted with the win, which was the biggest test of their season so far ahead of a trip to Madrid.

Barcelona scored four goals against Bayern for the second time in their Champions League history, after doing so in April 2009 under Pep Guardiola (4-0).

And Flick was delighted with what he saw from his team at the Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys.

"It's unbelievable this win. Bayern are a wonderful team with fantastic players who know how to play very well. You want to see them play," Flick told reporters.

"Of course, if you win this kind of game you have to celebrate. This win gives us the confidence to believe in our quality for the game coming up on Saturday.

"With the level our team has been showing, you can achieve great things. We played with a lot of courage and that's why I'm very happy. The team wants to learn, and we will learn from the things we didn't do as well.

"We have one day less than Real Madrid to prepare for the Clasico but all the players want to play this game. We will prepare well and be ready."

Prior to Wednesday's match, Barcelona had lost six straight matches against Bayern by an aggregate score of 22-4 - including an 8-2 quarter-final defeat four years ago.

But this time, their performance was led by captain Raphinha, who became just the fourth player in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history to score a hat-trick against Bayern, after Roy Makaay in 2002, Sergio Agüero in 2014 and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2017.

Understandably, Flick was full of praise for the Brazilian forward.

"[Raphinha] is a good example of how a player can impact how a team can function," Flick said.

"He always has a good attitude in training and in matches. He's very important for us, also because of the counter-attacking pressure he puts on. And also because of the way he prepares to score. He has a good dynamic on the ball and he played an extraordinary game.

"His offensive and defensive dynamics, and his good technique, is something special. I've never had a player like him, and he helps us a lot."

Hansi Flick is excited by Wednesday's Champions League reunion with former club Bayern Munich, though he already feels at home at Barcelona after a flying start.

Barcelona sit top of LaLiga with nine wins from 10 matches after crushing Sevilla 5-1 on Sunday, while they have three points from two Champions League fixtures, losing to Monaco but beating Young Boys 5-0.

On matchday three, the Blaugrana face Bayern – with whom Flick lifted UEFA's premier club trophy in 2019-20 – in a heavyweight contest in Catalonia.

Between Flick's appointment in November 2019 and his exit in June 2021, Bayern averaged the highest possession share in the Bundesliga (62.55%) and won the ball in the final third 489 times, 172 clear of Borussia Dortmund, who were second by that metric (317).

They also led the way for wins (45), total shots (1,023) and goals (174) in that span, averaging exactly three goals per Bundesliga outing.

While Flick has fond memories of his time in Bavaria, his main focus is on leading Barca to a morale-boosting win before they face Real Madrid in El Clasico on Saturday.

"Bayern is something special in my life, it's an excellent club and I have many acquaintances and relationships with players and managers," Flick said on Tuesday.

"It was a great time, that's my memory. But now there is a new chapter, I am delighted here and very happy.

"I have a very good feeling for being here. The fans support us with so much passion and it forces you to give your all.

"That's how we're going to continue, we want to be well prepared. I might know Bayern a little better but it will be a difficult game."

Flick, who was Bayern's coach when they humiliated Barcelona 8-2 in the Champions League quarter-finals four years ago, said that match will have no bearing on their next meeting.

"The past is in the past and what we should focus on is the here and now. What happened in the past we cannot change, but we can change what happens tomorrow. I want us to be well prepared and give our best. We want to beat Bayern," Flick said.

"It is important that we work hard and achieve what we are looking for. The fans can rely on us to give our all.

"We don't always perform at 100% and that's why we're trying to improve for the next game. It will be important to put pressure on our opponents. We will try to make as few mistakes as possible."

Hansi Flick's Barcelona have made a flying start to the season, but he was reluctant to draw comparisons with his all-conquering Bayern Munich team.

Barca moved three points clear at the top of LaLiga after Robert Lewandowski's first-half hat-trick helped them to a 3-0 victory over Deportivo Alaves on Sunday. 

In the league, Barcelona have already scored 28 goals in nine games, more than any other team in the division, and the most of any team across the top five European leagues.

Flick took interim charge at Bayern midway through the 2019-20 season, guiding them to a treble by winning the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and the Champions League. 

However, the manager believes it is too early to compare the two sides. 

"No, no, I don't like that. This team is different," Flick told reporters.

"The situation is different. At the moment, things look good. I'm happy to be the coach of this team, but I know that things can change really quickly in football.

"We value what we have, it's fantastic to see things work... What this team is doing is amazing. The atmosphere in the dressing room is great.

"It's not just about winning and losing. We analyse matches, that's why we have a very large group of analysts. We want to show the players what we can improve on for the next match."

Lewandowski's hat-trick was the fourth-earliest ever scored by a Barcelona player in LaLiga (32 minutes), and took his tally up to 10 goals in the competition.

Flick was full of praise for his striker, who was part of that treble-winning team at Bayern. 

"Lewandowski is the same player I knew in Munich, and he's the best in the box. What he does is fantastic, he's always ready to score," Flick added.

"I think we should praise everyone in the team, they're all helping him. He's in good form, and I'm happy to see that. I'm happy for the three points and happy with Lewy's performance.

"In the first half, we didn't make any mistakes, we didn't allow Alaves to play their game. That was the key to winning."

The only blemish at the Mendizorrotza Stadium was the injury suffered by forward Ferran Torres, who limped off five minutes into the game.

"We still don't know what injury Ferran has, but it looks muscular. We'll see with the medical tests tomorrow," Flick said.

"Ferran's injury is worrying. We don't have many options in attack, but we'll see what happens.

"We hope to recover the injured players in the international break. We will see in the next two weeks, and we hope they return in good shape."

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick took the blame following Saturday's shock 4-2 defeat at the hands of Osasuna.

Flick made a call to rest some of his key players and duly paid the price as Osasuna claimed their first LaLiga win over Barca since 2020.

The former Germany and Bayern Munich boss had been aiming to become only the second Barca coach, after Gerardo Martino, to win his first eight LaLiga matches in charge.

Yet Barca were firmly second best at Estadio El Sadar, with Bryan Zaragoza's double propelling Osasuna to a deserved victory, with the visitors only able to muster 0.68 expected goals (xG).

"You have to accept these defeats. We didn't play very well. I think it's my responsibility," Flick told Movistar Plus.

"[With the changes] I tried to protect the players, because they have been playing a lot of minutes. But I didn't expect us to play like this.

"We made a lot of mistakes and Osasuna did well. Although in the second goal I think there was a foul at the start of the action, I'm not entirely sure because I haven't been able to see it yet, but that's what I've heard.

"To score four goals against us is too much, but I've told the team that we have to keep going. It's a busy schedule and we are on the right track."

Flick was referring to a challenge by Osasuna midfielder Lucas Torro, who stood on Pau Victor's foot, in the build-up to Zaragoza scoring their second goal in the 28th minute.

The goal was given as neither the referee nor the VAR saw an infringement.

"For me it is a clear foul," a visibly frustrated Pedri told Movistar Plus.

Pedri also shrugged off the suggestion Flick's changes were the cause of Barca's issues.

He added: "It's normal to make rotations, there are a lot of matches. It's no excuse. We had to go out with 11 players and the score at half-time penalised us.

"The first half we were not good. We didn't come out to the game well. In the second half we deserved a bit more, but goals came when we were at our best.

"We had to go for the game. We had to go for everything and on the counter-attack they hurt us." 

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick will rely on his experienced players as the Blaugrana navigate an injury crisis early on in his first campaign at the helm.

A perfect seven wins from as many matches in LaLiga this season means Barca could match the best start in their league history on Saturday, when they visit Osasuna.

Only once have Barca won their first eight matches to start a league campaign, doing so in 2013-14 under Gerardo Martino but ultimately finishing second to Atletico Madrid that season.

Flick's impressive start at Camp Nou has come despite injuries biting at his squad, with goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen the latest casualty as he underwent knee surgery this week.

He has joined Dani Olmo, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo, Fermin Lopez and Andreas Christensen in the treatment room, while Inigo Martinez is doubtful after suffering an injury against Getafe on Wednesday.

De Jong and Gavi are closing in on returns, but Flick is confident in his team's ability to cope in their absence.  

"This is about quality of the players. They are very well prepared and train with so much passion and mentality," Flick said. "Evidently, as we did before, there will be some rotations.

"But also it's important the experienced players are with us, like Raphinha and [Robert] Lewandowski. Inigo received a blow, so we will see how that is.

"From what I see in training, [De Jong] is in good shape, also Gavi picking up the pace. 

"Frenkie is very close to returning. Tomorrow he will have a rest because he needs it, he trained a lot."

The return of De Jong, who last played in April, could be a major boost for Barcelona as they brace for a tough October, when they host Bayern Munich in the Champions League three days before visiting Real Madrid in LaLiga.

"De Jong is an experienced player and he can help us greatly, even if he plays 20 minutes, but we will see what happens next week," Flick said.

Flick was also asked what it would mean to equal Barca's best start to a season, but the German is focused purely on the task of overcoming Osasuna.

"It's always great to win though we aren't focusing on the record," he said.

"From 11 points, Osasuna have won 10 points at home, where the crowd really gets behind them and I like that atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Barca have been banned from selling tickets for their next Champions League away game, at Red Star Belgrade on November 6, after their supporters were found guilty of racist behaviour during their match against Monaco. 

Despite Barcelona maintaining their perfect start to the LaLiga season with a 1-0 win over Getafe on Wednesday, head coach Hansi Flick insisted they can improve.

Robert Lewandowski's 19th-minute strike was enough to secure the win for the Blaugrana, but the hosts should have won by a more comfortable scoreline. 

At the end of the contest, Barca accumulated an expected goals (xG) total of 1.92 from their 15 shots, but only four of those were on target. 

But Flick, who became the third Barca coach to win his first seven LaLiga games after Gerardo Martino in 2013 and Ernesto Valverde in 2017, insisted his side were still very much a work in progress. 

"To get seven wins is perfect, but we have to do some things better," Flick said. 

"Today we had a very good mentality. For me it's a good starting point to improve. 

"I've been told that it's always like that against Getafe, they are very good in defence, but I'm very proud of my players and how they fought for 95 minutes."

The result saw Barca extend their lead to rivals Real Madrid at the summit of the standings to four points ahead of facing Osasuna this weekend. 

It was also a straightforward game for the hosts' stand-in goalkeeper Inaki Pena, who kept a clean sheet and was forced to make just one save during the contest. 

Pena replaced Marc-Andre ter Stegen between the sticks after the German international came off injured during Barca's 5-1 win over Villarreal last week. 

The extent of Ter Stegen's injury was confirmed shortly after, with the 32-year-old undergoing knee surgery on Monday and he is now expected to miss the rest of the season. 

Reports suggest that Barca are considering welcoming Wojciech Szczesny as an emergency back-up, despite the Pole calling time on his career earlier this year. 

However, Flick refused to discuss those rumours linking Szczesny to a shock move to the Camp Nou. 

"I only speak of the players we have in the team. Inaki Pena is our number one goalkeeper and I'm happy. This is what it's worth," Flick said.

"We have Inaki Pena who is 25-years-old but the rest of the goalkeepers are very young, so if something happens we have to have experience."

Barcelona will be without injured goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen for several months, but Hansi Flick is confident they have a capable deputy in Inaki Pena.

Germany international Ter Stegen underwent a successful operation on Monday after suffering a complete rupture of the patella tendon in his right knee.

The 32-year-old suffered the injury in Barca's 5-1 win at Villarreal in LaLiga on Sunday and is expected to be out for at least eight months, according to Spanish media reports.

Despite Ter Stegen's season likely being over, Flick is remaining upbeat, backing academy product Pena to handle the step up.

"Inaki is doing very well, in pre-season too. He has worked very hard to be here. He is focused and ready to play," Flick said ahead of Wednesday's home game versus Getafe.

"We are confident but we also have to look at what we do because the players at the back are very young. For the moment, we don't feel under pressure and we trust in Inaki."

Having joined Barcelona's La Masia academy aged 13, 25-year-old Pena has made 23 first-team appearances, conceding 39 goals and keeping five clean sheets.

Pena made 10 league appearances for Barca last term, with his save percentage of 56.4% falling some way short of Ter Stegen's 73.5%.

Pena also conceded 17 goals from 13.89 expected goals on target (xGoT) faced, giving him an underperformance of 3.1 in terms of goals prevented. Ter Stegen, by contrast, conceded 27 times from 27.84 xGoT faced.

The Catalans were already without new signing Dani Olmo and fellow midfielders Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Marc Bernal and Fermin Lopez, plus defenders Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen, due to injuries.

However, they have made a perfect start to the season under Flick, with six straight wins putting them top of LaLiga, four points ahead of reigning champions Real Madrid in second.

But the former Bayern Munich boss is striving for more, adding: "We analysed the game against Villarreal and we saw a lot of things that can be improved. 

"We haven't reached the end of the road. You can always do more. We are moving forward step by step."

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick did not want to speculate about the time Marc-Andre ter Stegen could spend on the sidelines after the injury the goalkeeper suffered against Villarreal.

Barcelona maintained their perfect start in LaLiga by winning 5-1 on Sunday.

However, the win was marred by possibly a season-ending injury of their goalkeeper, who had to be taken off in the first half.

"It looks like a serious injury, he felt it, you could see it on the pitch," Flick told reporters.

Ter Stegen fell badly after jumping for a ball just before half-time and was visibly in pain as he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

All of Germany international's weight fell on his right leg.

Ter Stegen injured the same knee, on which he already underwent two surgeries over recent seasons, and another operation could prove to be the end his campaign, according to some reports in the Spanish media.

Asked whether he had already thought of a replacement, Flick said: "I don't like this question right after the game. First we have to see what happens with Marc, he's our captain.

"I'm very sad about what happened. Please understand that I don't want to answer this question. I haven't been able to speak to Ter Stegen."

Robert Lewandowski, who scored twice in the rout, dedicated the win to Ter Stegen.

"We don't know exactly what happened, he's in hospital, but of course we are very sad, and this victory is for him," Lewandowski said.

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.