The Chelsea game is now in the past. It was a tough loss in London, but football moves on so quickly that it's time to look forward to the visit of Alavés to Spotify Camp Nou for another LaLiga fixture (kick-off 4.15pm CET 29 November). During the pre-match press conference for the match against the side from Vitoria, Hansi Flick spoke about several players from the team, plus how the group are feeling in general.

Pedri back, Araujo out

The late withdrawal by Araujo due to a stomach bug sees him join the injured Fermín on the sidelines, and the blaugrana coach commented that "this is football and these things happen". The big news involves the much-awaited return of Pedri and he went on to say that the Canary Islander "will definitely get minutes, but won't start", after picking up an injury at the start of the month.

Flick commented that "we all feel down" after the loss in London, but he also assured that "you have to be optimistic about the game" against Alavés. Barça have shortened the gap to Real Madrid by four points in the last two gameweeks and are now just one point behind, albeit the coach on thinks about "getting the three points. Nothing else will do".

Raphinha improving

Flick stated that he saw "more intensity and more confidence with and without the ball in training" and he is also happy with the gradual return of Raphinha. "He is one of most focused players in the team and I have missed him. He really fits our philosophy and has a very positive impact on our play. He really wants to show how good he is, and I want him to do that", he concluded.

Força Barça