Barcelona taking maximum caution to protect 27-year-old star | OneFootball

Barcelona are set to handle Dani Olmo with maximum caution after a season in which injuries repeatedly disrupted his rhythm, reports Pau Bartoli in SPORT.

The Spanish international endured a frustrating 2024/25 campaign, missing 15 matches in total.

Among those absences was the crucial second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Atletico de Madrid, a match where his presence could have made a difference.

Although none of the injuries were serious, they were enough to keep him from enjoying consistent minutes under Hansi Flick.

Most were muscle overloads or minor setbacks, but each one interrupted his momentum and forced the coaching staff to adjust their plans.

Flick has made it clear that player welfare comes first, especially for someone as important to his tactical setup as Olmo.

Pre-season scare but there’s positive news

Dani Olmo did not play against Como. (Photo by Paul Miller/Getty Images)

The new season has already brought a reminder of Olmo’s situation. During pre-season, the 27-year-old experienced another bout of muscle discomfort.

This overload kept him out of several training sessions last week and ruled him out of the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Como.

Thankfully for Barcelona, this latest issue was only a scare. Olmo returned to full training with the group on Tuesday, and he is expected to be available for the La Liga opener against Mallorca on Saturday.

Even so, the incident has reinforced the need for extra care in managing his workload.

The club’s medical and technical teams are now tasked with creating a tailored training routine that suits Olmo’s body and reduces the risk of repeated injuries. The goal is to give him the stability needed to perform consistently across the season.

However, it remains to be seen if Flick will pick him over Fermin Lopez against Mallorca, given that the latter scored a brace against Como.