Barcelona are resting Lionel Messi and Frenkie de Jong for their Champions League game at Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday.
Despite their recent La Liga troubles, Barca currently sit top of Group G – three points ahead of second-placed Juventus and eight clear of bottom two Kiev and Ferencvaros –and can secure a spot in the knockout stage for the 17th straight season by winning in the Ukraine.
Messi has played in every match so far this season after going through a turbulent summer where he attempted to leave the club he has spent his entire career.
De Jong had also played in every match with both having just played for their respective national teams, Argentina and the Netherlands.
“Neither Leo nor Frenkie are traveling,” Koeman said on Monday. “They need some rest. With nine points in our group, we are in a comfortable situation and we have to keep them fresh.
“In Leo's case you also have trips to South America [to play with Argentina]. We have to protect our players. It's impossible for them to play every match and always be at their best. Everyone knows that, but we have to keep playing several matches.
It's time for UEFA, FIFA to think about what they are doing to footballers, the amount of games they need to play is crazy."
Barcelona's perfect campaign in the Champions League has been the only good thing for the club recently. It doesn’t have a president in charge, it is dealing with financial difficulties, several of its players are injured and it has struggled in the Spanish league.
They are also coming off a loss to Atletico Madrid that left the Catalonians 12th in the Spanish table after eight matches.
“We can’t be happy with our results, but we need to stay motivated,” Koeman said. “We have another match tomorrow [Tuesday] and we are one step away from advancing, so we have to take advantage of this opportunity.”
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Atletico 1 Barca 0: player ratings
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ATLETICO MADRID RATINGS: Jan Oblak 7 – Did his job well when he faced Lionel Messi in a one-on-one situation from a tight angle. He stayed on his feet and smothered the ball low to his left. Also saved comfortably from a Griezmann header. AP -
Kieran Trippier 6 – Linked well with Llorente on the right-hand side and was a danger on the overlap, his crossing ability troubling Barca’s back line. AP -
Stefan Savic 7 – Looked extremely solid alongside Gimenez. Together they snuffed out Griezmann and restricted Messi to one major chance all game. Reuters -
Jose Gimenez 7 – The visitors struggled to find a way past him. He gave away a free-kick in a dangerous area with ten minutes left, but luckily it amounted to nothing. AP -
Mario Hermoso 7 – His passing ability perfectly suits Atletico’s style; on two occasions he turned defence into attack quickly with a single through ball. Getty -
Marcos Llorente 7 – Was one of Atletico’s most dangerous attacking outlets as he enjoyed space on the right. Was substituted, but more than played his part. Getty -
Koke 7 – Was a key player early on but was booked, which left him under pressure. However, he still managed to control the middle, and also spread the play well… Carrasco and Felix on the left enjoyed his service. EPA -
Saul Niguez 7 – Had a great chance to open the scoring inside the first 15 minutes but his effort struck the bar. Was a formidable barrier that Barcelona struggled to break down. Getty -
Yannick Carrasco 7 – Had a busy night on the left-hand side at both ends of the pitch. His neat flick deceived an advancing Ter Stegen to enable him to score the winner into an empty net from distance on the stroke of half-time. AFP -
Angel Correa 8 – Played a fabulous pass to Carrasco for the opening goal that completely caught out Ter Stegen, and was unplayable at times. AP -
Joao Felix 7 – Another good performance from the Portuguese youngster, who is fast becoming the star of La Liga. A good outlet who caused Barca problems with his movement and dribbling ability. Getty -
SUBS: Diego Costa N/A – Was a typical nuisance after coming on. He’s definitely lost his edge, but he caused more problems than Griezmann and Messi combined in his cameo. AP -
Thomas Lemar N/A – Came on and got forward but his positional sense let him down at key moments. AFP -
Geoffrey Kondogbia N/A – Added some physicality in the middle to try and close the game out and did his job well. AFP -
Felipe N/A – Came on in injury time so hardly had a chance to get a kick. Getty -
BARCELONA RATINGS: Marc-Andre ter Stegen 4 – Kept Barcelona in the game early on with a superb save and a flying dive to his right from Carrasco. However, he then lost his head on the stroke of half-time, coming way out of his area only to miss the ball and leave an empty net for Carrasco. AFP -
Sergi Roberto 5 – Was stretched at times and often left his teammates exposed. Came close with an effort late on. AP -
Gerard Pique 5 – Started confidently and made an outrageous pass across his own six-yard box, but alongside Ter Stegen was also at fault for the opening goal; Pique leaving his keeper stranded with a heavy touch. Was also guilty of leaving Lenglet exposed at times. EPA -
Clement Lenglet 5 – Poor positional sense put Barca’s defence under pressure, but he once again displayed his excellent ability on the ball. Had a good chance to level with a header in the second half. EPA -
Jordi Alba 5 – Lost the ball a lot but carved Atletico open with an incisive pass to Messi. Struggled against Koke and Saul. AP -
Frenkie De Jong 5 – Displayed tidy feet despite being pressed whenever he had the ball. However, he was too slow in possession and this affected Barca’s tempo. EPA -
Miralem Pjanic 6 – Started well and looked assured alongside De Jong. He was always looking for the probing pass in and around the Atletico area. AFP -
Pedri 4 – Looked lost on the left-hand side and couldn’t get into the game at all, which Atletico looked to punish. Was replaced by Coutinho. EPA -
Lionel Messi 5 – Had a great chance five minutes before the break but, after delaying his shot, he couldn’t find a way past Oblak. Not his best game. AFP -
Ousmane Dembele 6 – Had a lot of space on the right hand side but his final ball sometimes let him down. Looked dangerous when he got in behind his man. AFP -
Antoine Griezmann 5 – Fizzed an early effort over the bar and found attacking opportunities few and far between thereafter. Made a crucial clearance in his own box in the second half. AFP -
SUBS: Philippe Coutinho 5 – Came on in a deeper role as he played in a pivot alongside Roberto, and struggled to make an impact. AFP -
Sergino Dest 6 – Was unlucky not to start the game given his recent form, and he came on in a central position to replace Pique. Did well given the circumstances. EPA -
Martin Braithwaite N/A – Once again looked poor when he came on. Didn’t offer Barca any presence in the final third. AFP -
Machado Trincao N/A – Did very little when he came on. Only played seven minutes, but didn’t do enough to try and change the game. AFP
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The club is being led by a managing committee since former president Josep Bartomeu and his board of directors resigned after the fallout from the Messi crisis. The club also has been in the middle of difficult negotiations with players to adjust their salaries amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In the match against Atletico, Barcelona also lost two players because of injuries – Sergi Roberto with a muscle injury and Gerard Pique with a serious knee injury.
“[Pique] represents a significant absence,” Koeman said. “He has been here for several years and has great personality. It’s sad for the team and for the club. It’s tough, but we have to accept it and try to solve the problem.
"Look at the example of Sergi Roberto, the reason he got injured was because of playing too many games. Everybody knows this but still we need to continue to play this number of games, it's incredible."
Koeman said he may use a player from the “B” team to make up for the shortage in central defenders. He could use 21-year-old Oscar Mingueza to play alongside Clement Lenglet, as Ronald Araújo is returning from an injury. De Jong has played as a central defender and is an option for Koeman in future matches.
“We can’t take any risks because we have very few central defenders,” he said.
Lenglet said he would be willing to play on the right side if needed. “It’s not my usual position, it’s a bit different, but I can do it to try to help the club,” he said.
Barcelona has won its Champions League group every season since 2007-08, and it has not lost a group match since the 2016-17 season. Dynamo Kyiv is making its first group appearance since that 2016-17 season.
