Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has made a clear point about Wojciech Szczesny's role for the rest of the season.
Flick faced a major decision over his goal position for tonight's Spanish Super Cup final with Real Madrid after dropping Inaki Pena for being late for a team session.
The former Bayern Munich boss has a strong record of punishing lateness and Pena missed the 2-0 win over Athletic Club in the semi-final when Szczesny started in Jeddah.
The Polish veteran has had to wait until early 2025 for his eventual club debut, with Pena the clear No. 1 choice for Flick this season.
Flick named an unchanged starting team to face Los Blancos in the final and he admitted that the call-up on Szczesny will not stand in the coming months.
“We are in the Super Cup final and we will finish the Super Cup with Szczesny in goal, but it is not a decision for the future, it is for tonight,” said Mundo Deportivo's pre-game reports.
Flick's message will reassure Pena of his position, but the Spanish stopper has heeded the warning about his approach as Barcelona pursue four possible titles in 2025.