Report: Barcelona players losing confidence in Valverde

Ernesto Valverde is apparently losing the support of the Barcelona dressing room.

Following Saturday's 2-0 defeat at La Liga newcomers Granada, several first-team players' confidence in their manager is waning, sources told ESPN's Moises Llorens and Sam Marsden. The humbling loss in Andalusia flagged Barcelona's worst start to a Spanish top-flight season in 25 years.

The latest setback for Valverde's squad consigned Barca to a record of seven points from their opening five matches and marked one immediate concern for the players: the club's away record.

"I'm worried because away from home we're not getting good results," Valverde admitted after the match in Granada, as quoted by Reuters. "No wins from four away games this season is a clear symptom that we are not in a very good situation."

Players backed Valverde following Barcelona's catastrophic Champions League defeat to Roma in his first campaign, and it's understood he kept his job after last season's similarly disastrous continental elimination to Liverpool due to his impressive management of the dressing room.

And Valverde is still safe now despite losing support in his ranks and there being a distinct lack of intensity and creativity in the side, one source told ESPN. There's an appreciation that he's dealt with a series of injuries in his squad this season - Ousmane Dembele hasn't featured since the opening loss against Athletic Bilbao, Luis Suarez only returned to fitness last week, while Lionel Messi is yet to start a game - and president Josep Maria Bartomeu isn't known to make rash decisions.