Barcelona do not expect to have Dani Olmo or Pau Victor available for the Spanish Super Cup semi-final, but manager Hansi Flick said yesterday that the difficult situation surrounding the pair’s registration can galvanise his team.Barcelona signed Olmo from RB Leipzig in August for around 55mn euros ($57.01mn) and Victor in July, but could only register them for the first half of the season because of La Liga wage cap rules.On Saturday, Barcelona lost their latest appeal to register both players for the rest of the campaign, and their last hope now rests with the Spanish government through the Administrative Sports Court (CSD).“I don’t think it’s going to happen tomorrow, but we’re going to wait. The only thing we can do right now is wait,” Flick told reporters ahead of today’s semi-final against Athletic Bilbao in Saudi Arabia. “It’s not so easy for us not to have two very important players. They have improved a lot. Dani Olmo is an excellent player, of course we miss him. But we have to continue. Of course it will have an effect, but this will give us the opportunity to be closer as a team. We have to show that we are a team.”Flick is not too concerned that the legal difficulties the club have faced with the two players will have a negative effect when they look to sign others in the future. “We know what the situation is and how immense this club is. When you know that, you sign no matter what,” Flick said. “It’s great to be able to work with people like that.”Barcelona beat Athletic 2-1 when the sides met in the league back in August, but their opponents are on an excellent run of form, unbeaten in their last 15 matches in all competitions. Flick’s side, meanwhile, have registered just one win in the last seven league games, losing top spot, and are now third in La Liga standings, with Athletic only two points behind.The manager expects a tough game, but does have winger Lamine Yamal available, after the 17-year-old missed their most recent two games with an ankle injury. “I think he’s trained three or four times. He’s ready, he can play tomorrow,” Flick said. “Playing against Athletic is always difficult. They are a very good team, they have very good players and a very good philosophy.”The winners will face either Real Madrid or Mallorca, who meet in tomorrow’s semi-final, in the final on Sunday.Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde said Olmo being unavailable to play in Spanish Super Cup semi-final was a boost for his team. “Olmo is an extraordinary player and if he can’t play tomorrow, for us, well what can I say?” former Barca coach Valverde told reporters. “I’m sorry for the situation he’s in, because he’s a player who if he can play, would bring prestige to the competition, but if he doesn’t play against us, so much the better.”Despite winning two La Liga titles Valverde was sacked by Barcelona in January 2020 after a semi-final defeat in the Spanish Super Cup by Atletico Madrid at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, where today’s match also takes place.“I know I played my last Barca match as coach here, in the same stadium,” added Valverde. “It happened, I am in another place now, very happy and tomorrow is a different game.”