Hansi Flick has said he is "not happy about this situation" as Barcelona scramble to try and register Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor for the second half of the season.
Olmo and Víctor were both unregistered by LaLiga on Wednesday after Barça failed to meet a Dec. 31 deadline to prove they were compliant with the league's financial fair play rules.
Barça continue to fight to register the duo, who were both signed on permanent deals last summer, but neither are available for selection ahead of Saturday's Copa del Rey tie against fourth-tier Barbastro.
"If I am honest, I was not happy about this situation," Flick said in a news conference on Friday when asked about Olmo and Víctor.
"Also the players aren't happy about the situation, but it is like it is and we have to accept it. We are professional. We have to play football, I have to coach and the club has to do their job.
"I have the confidence with the club that they do their job and I do my job. The confidence is there. I am always positive about things, but we have to wait for the decision."
It's the latest in a string of registration issues suffered by Barça. Since 2021, players have had to take wage cuts, future earnings from television rights have been sold off and bank guarantees have been provided by board members to be able to register new additions.
"I don't think about the future, also not in the past, just for now," Flick added when asked if the constant drama could put players off joining the club moving forward.
"I spoke with Dani and with Pau and the situation for them, you can imagine, it's not easy. But they are positive. They want to play for this club.
"We will see when the decision is made how it is and then I will think about it. But I am positive at the moment. I know it's not easy, but at the end I am positive."
Despite missing the the Dec. 31 deadline, a source told ESPN Barça continue to work on registering Olmo and Victor via the €100 million sale of VIP boxes, which would help them comply with LaLiga's economic regulations.
The source added that Barça will not offer any further explanation until the pair are registered, despite previously pledging to explain everything on Jan. 3, and that the club are "not considering" a scenario in which they are not registered.
However, LaLiga said earlier this week Barça had not provided sufficient guarantees that they were able to fulfil the regulations as they missed the deadline.
Barça have also applied for new licences for Olmo and Víctor with the Royal Spanish Football Federation [RFEF], although the rules state players cannot be re-registered with the same team for the second time in the same season.
A source within the RFEF also told ESPN they "cannot process any licence without prior approval from LaLiga."
The saga leaves Olmo and Victor's immediate futures in major doubt given the possibility they will not be able to play for Barça again until next season.
Olmo's contract includes a clause which would allow him to leave for free if he is not registered, although sources have told ESPN the Spain international is not considering activating it.
Another option could be to leave for six months and return in the summer, although Olmo's agent says they are not listening to any offers of any sort at the moment.
"It's a stressful situation for Dani as it would be for any other player, but he is trying to stay calm," Andy Bara told reporters.
"I can confirm that we're not negotiating with any club. Dani is Barça player and he wants to be a Barça player. He made a big effort in his life to be at Barcelona. It's been his desire for a very long time.
"Barcelona is the first and last option. We're not thinking about other options. I believe in president [Joan] Laporta and [sporting director] Deco. I feel they will find a solution and Dani will be registered."