Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has confirmed that Inaki Pena will remain as their starting goalkeeper going forward, two months on from the Catalan side picking up Wojciech Szczesny out of retirement.
Many expected Szczesny to take over once Marc-Andre ter Stegen went down injured, given their respective CVs in the game, but Flick has maintained trust in Pena. That paid dividends during El Clasico, making several crucial saves.
Frenkie de Jong still has pain in his ankle, and both in competition and training, he shows noticeable insecurity and excessive caution in duels. This hesitancy clashes with Hansi Flick's style, which demands intensity, relentless pressing. So, unless De Jong returns to 100%, his…
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) December 2, 2024
Flick was asked whether Szczesny would have a chance to play soon.
“He is now performing really well in the training. But at the moment the plan is not to change that, so Inaki is number one. Always said it before, and this stays the same.”
The German manager said he did not notice that Raphinha held onto the captain’s armband, despite Frenkie de Jong coming on against Las Palmas, and did not know why they didn’t. In addition, he also waved away complaints about the refereeing in the same game, saying he did not want it to come off as an excuse. His key message was about seeing more fight from his players.