FC Barcelona Coach Flick Sends Message To Star With Squad List, And Also Signals Exit

Head coach Hansi Flick sent a message to FC Barcelona number 10 Ansu Fati by once again leaving him out of the squad list for Wednesday's Copa del Rey last 16 meeting with Real Betis.

In a prematch press conference to preview the knockout tie on Tuesday, Flick was asked about the Lamine Yamal of his era at the turn of the decade, who similarly smashed a number of youngest appearance and goalscorer records after graduating from La Masia as a 16-year-old and was compared to Lionel Messi to the extent of inheriting the Argentine's number 10 shirt.

After returning from a loan at Brighton in the summer, and then recovering from an injury he picked up in preseason after initially impressing Flick and his staff, Ansu is on the outside looking in with few minutes earned on the wings or up front.

"I'm honest with everyone, I've spoken to him," Flick revealed. "It's whatever he wants. I told him when I arrived that he is ready to be professional and show a great performance.

"He was injured, but after the injury he didn't show us his one hundred percent. And it's a shame for him and for us, he did not give it his all. He has to work like everyone else and give his best, that's what we want," Flick added.

Though he travelled to Saudi Arabia for Barca's Spanish Super Cup campaign concluded by a resounding 5-2 win over Real Madrid, Fati won't play any part against Betis either because - as in those first two ties - he once more hasn't made the squad list.

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The third consecutive snub can be taken as Flick sending a message to the former Spain international to book his ideas up, with MARCA calling it a "wake up call" because second-string players are usually used in the Copa del Rey.

According to SPORT, however, which cited anonymous sources, Fati has a "foot and a half out of the club" amid links to the likes of Girona, Real Betis and Valencia.

Aged 22, Fati could relaunch his career at one of said clubs, and Barca also needs a player exit to pursue a new signing such as Marcus Rashford, who, according to the same newspaper, Flick has given his thumbs up to.