Koeman hands extra work to Pjanic and Trincao after big Anoeta win

Not even after an exhibition like Sunday's against Real Sociedad led Ronald Koeman to give hi players a break. The Dutch coach, delighted with the performance at a traditionally tough ground to visit, didn't relax once the final whistle went.

We don't know if it was pre-planned (we believe not as he doesn't know who will play how many minutes, it depends on how the game goes), but when the players headed back to the Anoeta changing rooms, from the press box we saw two players, along with fitness coach Albert Roca, heading back on to the pitch. It was Francisco Trincao and Miralem Pjanic.

Neither with a particularly positive attitude or intensity, they started to do sprints across the pitch. Trincao had played the final six minutes in San Sebastian, while Pjanic didn't even make it off the bench. He's hardly had an impact since joining from Juventus last summer.

A long way from winning Sergio Busquets' position (something many thought would be a given before the season), the Bosnian has gone from more to less, to the point that Riqui Puig and Ilaix Moriba are ahead of him in the rotation. In the case of Trincao, he is one of the players damaged by the switch to 3-4-2-1. A pure winger has no place with two No.10s playing behind a No.9 with pace and movement (Ousmane Dembele).

Both Trincao and Pjanic have been called up for their national teams during the international break, which represents their best chance for minutes at the moment.

NEW FC BARCELONA PODCAST IN ENGLISH