Luis Enrique was cryptic with his explanation for Aleix Vidal’s continued omission from the Barcelona squad for the visit of Sporting Gijon on Saturday.
Vidal’s struggles to break into the Barca XI were compounded midweek, when Enrique opted to summon Douglas to the substitutes’ bench as Dani Alves’ right-back deputy over the former Sevilla man, and the Coach hinted the 26-year-old was not yet ready for the first team.
“We must be prepared for these results to affect our rivals and not ourselves,” he said at a Press conference.
“There have been surprising results in the last 10 games of seasons and even more so in the last five.
“We have an obligation to win and situations, in which many teams have nothing to lose, are given. This season will be the same.
“The 0-8 [at Deportivo La Coruna] was a great result and reinforces our present. Our situation has been made difficult by the results of recent matches, some fair and some unfair.
“The last four games will be very interesting for everyone, so we need to win these four games.
“[On Luis Suarez], it’s the credit of the whole team if we attack well and create chances.
“The whole team are recognised for the good and the bad. It seems that Iniesta has been fine since he was born.
“I’ve never seen him in a bad way. He’s at the same level as he was last season, when he was incredible.
“He’s a key player, our captain and decisive on and off the pitch. I think there are very few players with his football intelligence. He’s unique.
“The match in A Coruna served to show that [Marc Bartra] is prepared work brutally hard from behind the scenes.
“He has the attitude needed for a professional. It’s easy to talk and hard to put it into practice, but whenever I’ve spoken to him, he repeated to me that ‘I’m ready for when you need me’.
“It’s a great moment for him and he needs to enjoy continuing to prepare for when gets his next chance.
“[On Aleix Vidal’s omission], the squads and line-ups I pick already say many things about what I don’t want to do.”
