This Friday morning, Barcelona will host Athletic Bilbao in a La Liga match. Head coach Flick confirmed in his press conference that Rodri will make his debut in this fixture.

With less than a week until the transfer window closes, will you try to sign Álvarez or will there be no new signings?

I think the president made his position very clear yesterday, and Deco and I completely agree with him.

On Balde's future

He will be in the squad tomorrow, so we'll decide if he plays tomorrow. Of course, I've spoken with him, and what I value most is that he's fully committed to us. He's only 21 years old, still quite young for a player, and has great potential. I think he had an excellent first season here, showing clear improvement, but now it's time to take another step forward. I'm pleased to see these La Masia players continuously improving, and their love for Barcelona is truly admirable, but daily effort and improvement are also very important. It's their job, and what they're doing. Because every year, three or four La Masia players are promoted to the first team, and they also want to play, just like foreign players. This is normal, it's life. Players must be fully committed to their work and give everything for their career and for Barcelona, that's what we want to see.

Did the president tell you it's either signing Álvarez or no one arrives?

I don't want to talk about Julián. I understand the club's situation. We've made some good signings this summer, and our objectives are clear, but the club must consider not only the present but also plan for the future. As a coach, of course, I'd like to say, "Give me the best players, as many as possible." Maybe that's feasible, maybe it's not.

I have complete confidence in my team and our current strength. Of course, we also have to deal with some situations and find solutions for certain matches, but we're very strong and must take advantage of that. I think the club is doing very well, and Deco is doing a fantastic job because we're also thinking about the future, incorporating the next 3-5 years into our planning. This is good; it maintains the club's stability, which is what we want.

Will goalkeeper Livaković stay as backup to Joan García, or will he be loaned out for development?

We've discussed the number 9 position, sorry, I meant the number 1 position (laughs). We have experienced goalkeepers, and he could play for a few more seasons. I'm very happy with Tek. Let's see in the coming days; that also depends on the transfer market situation. We still have a few days to make a decision.

Barcelona has 8 World Cup winners in the squad. Do you plan to organize a celebration for them tomorrow?

I'm focused on the match. They performed excellently at the World Cup, and this championship is well-deserved. But for me, that's in the past; we need to live in the present and focus on tomorrow's match.

After the Elche match, Yamal seemed a bit down on the bench. Have you spoken with him over the past few days? How do you feel about his confidence now?

He had a slight headache during those days, but we all know Lamine Yamal is a genius. He only had three weeks of vacation and trained for a very short time, so it's normal that he hasn't reached his peak form yet. So we're looking for solutions to help him gradually return to his best form, but I'm very grateful that he played 60 minutes for us and contributed to both opening goals. The first goal came from his intense pressing, and for the second, his first touch was a pass to Raphinha. He also gave us more substitution options, and he helped us a lot in the match. We'll see how we set up for tomorrow's match, but we need him because he's excellent.

Does Rodri have a chance to make his Barcelona debut tomorrow?

Yes, of course, we plan to give him a few minutes.

What can Athletic Bilbao's new coach Terzic bring to the team?

Of course, I know him; I'm very familiar with him. He came to Barcelona to see me. He's a coach with very clear tactical ideas, good at simplifying complex problems, and he fits Athletic's philosophy well. I think he's a perfect fit for Athletic.

Can Pedri and Rodri coexist at Barcelona? Will we see Barcelona have better midfield control than the past two seasons?

Of course, they can. We've also used Bernal (who has a similar style to Rodri) in this position. Rodri has more experience and is certainly a world-class leader. Pairing him with Pedri, I think, as you said, we'll have stronger control and better pressing ability.

In the Elche match, we conceded too many goals, especially in the first half, and too easily. Everything changed when Pedri came on because our ball control improved, which is what we need. Everyone knows Rodri is one of the best in the world, and I'm truly happy to see both of them playing for Barcelona. I believe we'll see elite-level football.

Can Gavi be in the squad tomorrow? How is his injury? What's his mood?

He's fine, much better now than right after the match. The test results show it's not too bad. He could recover within about a week.

Christensen just recovered from injury, and Araújo has left. Does the club need to buy another center-back? Or are you satisfied with the current personnel?

I think with our current defensive lineup, we don't have any issues, and we also have other options. Eric, Koundé, and Gérard can all play multiple positions. Christensen and Gérard work well together at center-back, and we also have Cubarsí. I think Cubarsí is one of the outstanding center-backs; he played many matches last season and at the World Cup. I want to give him some rest, and he can also play many matches this season. But I know he really wants to play, which is normal because he's very young and just won the World Cup and was named the tournament's outstanding young player. His excellent performance at such a young age at the World Cup is truly impressive, and I'm very happy to have him in the squad.

After winning the World Cup, do you think Yamal still has the same hunger to win at Barcelona as before? If he's substituted, can he understand your decision?

I don't think he can understand (laughs), but he wants to play and enjoy football, which is normal. When you become a world champion, you want to pursue the next championship. He likes winning, and I think that should be his attitude too. I can see that everyone in the squad has the hunger to win a third consecutive La Liga title, and if we can achieve that, it would be fantastic. We're ready, and we'll fight for it, working hard every day.

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