Barcelona management are concerned about Ansu Fati's overall fitness.

Fati was called up by Spain coach Luis Enrique for the UEFA Nations League. He did not play one minute. In reality, the Spain coach wanted to see firsthand how the player was doing in spirit and physically after his injury.

In terms of the first point, all is good, but the precaution with which his minutes in matches were managed was a result of the same precaution with which Xavi Hernandez managed him at the end of the season.

There's a certain amount of concern at Barcelona and among the club's medical staff over Ansu's fitness.

Local journalist Achraf Ben Ayad reported yesterday: "He's still not ready to compete at the top level, he is a long way from being level. Barça believe he committed a big error not having surgery."

Sport says the concern is real and that the player has undertaken several tests to check on his fitness. In one of them was he at the level necessary for high-level competition in comparison to his results before his injuries. He has lost resistance, explosiveness, speed and power, which means the medical team continue to monitor him closely.