Former Atletico Madrid midfielder Mario Suarez has questioned Hansi Flick's approach to squad rotation at Barcelona, arguing that the manager needs to manage his players' workloads more carefully to maintain their fitness throughout the season. In a report published by Barca Universal on Monday, November 2, 2026, Suarez raised concerns about the minutes being accumulated by key figures, including Rodri, Pedri and Lamine Yamal.

Speaking on Movistar+, the former Spanish midfielder suggested that Flick should make greater use of his available squad members, particularly when Barcelona establish comfortable leads. He believes resting important players during less demanding periods could help them remain physically prepared for decisive fixtures later in the campaign.

Suarez specifically questioned Flick's handling of Rodri's playing time across Barcelona's recent matches. He found it difficult to understand why the midfielder was substituted during the Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain but remained on the pitch for the entire 90 minutes against Alaves.

In his view, the Alaves encounter presented an opportunity to reduce Rodri's workload, especially with challenging matches against Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid approaching. Suarez argued that Flick could have protected the midfielder's fitness without significantly weakening the team's chances of securing victory.

He also questioned why the Barcelona manager did not introduce other available players, such as Gavi, when his side had already established a comfortable advantage. Suarez believes such situations offer an ideal opportunity to distribute playing time more evenly and prevent regular starters from carrying unnecessary physical demands.

The former Atletico player also highlighted the number of minutes several Barcelona stars have accumulated since the beginning of the season. He noted that Pedri and Rodri were approaching the 1,000-minute mark, while Yamal had already exceeded that total.

Suarez considers those figures a reason for concern, particularly because Barcelona have experienced matches in which their advantage could have allowed Flick to make earlier substitutions. He believes maintaining the same starting players throughout comfortable victories may create avoidable fatigue.

He further explained that managing workloads effectively could have a substantial impact during the final months of the season. According to Suarez, having 500 or 600 fewer minutes of football by April or May could leave important players in better physical condition for competitions reaching their decisive stages.

The former midfielder also referred to Paris Saint-Germain as an example of a club that carefully distributes playing time among its leading players. He suggested that the French champions understand the importance of preserving their strongest options for major European encounters while managing domestic fixtures.

Suarez acknowledged that Barcelona also regularly enjoy matches in which they establish significant leads, creating opportunities to rotate without compromising results. He believes Flick should take fuller advantage of those circumstances rather than relying heavily on his most important players.

Barcelona are competing across several competitions, making squad management an important part of their ambitions. The manager must balance the need to secure victories with the responsibility of keeping his players available and physically prepared.

Suarez's criticism ultimately centres on the need for greater rotation and more effective use of Barcelona's squad depth. He believes improvements in that area could help the Catalan club maintain consistency and remain competitive as they pursue every available trophy this season.