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Luis Enrique Talks Rotations In Latest Press Conference

By Laieke Abebe

BARCELONA, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 19: Luis Enrique, Manager of FC Barcelona reacts during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Malaga CF at Camp Nou stadium on November 19, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 19: Luis Enrique, Manager of FC Barcelona reacts during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Malaga CF at Camp Nou stadium on November 19, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images) /
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Luis Enrique says that he has to rotate players in so that the team can compete for more trophies this season.

Barcelona manager Luis Enrique believes that player rotations are good for the teams chances at the major trophies this season. With the current injury situation for the club, he has a really good point. Lucho explained this and other things including the upcoming Copa Del Rey tie with Atletico Madrid in his latest pre-match press conference.

“I’m going to rotate in all the games; if not the players won’t even reach Feb. 15,” he said. “It’s necessary when there’s tiredness, injuries and suspensions. So either I rotate or we can’t compete for all three competitions. The team I pick is not conditioned by one game, but by all games and by the number of minutes accumulated by the players — especially in this busy two months (January, February). So the idea remains the same. ”

The Barca boss thinks their bout with Atletico will be a “complicated tie” and rightfully so. Atletico shockingly eliminated Barca from the Champions League last season. This season, they meet in the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg at the Calderon. Of course, “the objective is to win and score a goal more than the rival” as Lucho put it.

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When speaking about Diego Simeone’s Atletico team, Lucho said: “Atletico are a team that compete really well. We know the Atletico side that keep things tight and close of space, but now they can be a little more daring. They press high and they’re one of the best teams in the European market. It will be difficult.

“I don’t see Simeone changing much in terms of style,” Lucho added. “I don’t think we will, either. There’s room for surprises, though. It will be an even game, the little details could be the determining factors. It will be a hard-fought tie, there’s no other way. We have played them many times and could still play them in the Champions League, too. So who knows if [these games] will be the last meeting.”

Next: Atletico vs. Barca CDR Preview

Overall, Atletico couldn’t be a tougher draw for Barcelona. However, in the semifinals of a major competition, the opponents become more difficult. The Catalans are very familiar with Atleti through their matches over the years. Along with the Copa del Rey semifinal, Barça and Atletico will meet in a La Liga tilt this month. Who knows, maybe they’ll meet in the Champions League once again. We’ll see how these two legs play out, but Barca will definitely not have it easy at the Calderon.