Your current location:HOME >politics >Xavi looks to adapt as Barca prepare for vital week 正文
TIME:2024-04-30 02:12:46 Source: Internet compilationEdit:politics
FC Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has a difficult balancing act to do when his side plays Mallorca i
FC Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has a difficult balancing act to do when his side plays Mallorca in La Liga on Friday night.
Joao Cancelo (front R) of Barcelona vies with Juan Iglesias (front L) of Getafe during the Spanish League (La Liga) football match between FC Barcelona and Getafe CF in Barcelona, Spain, Feb. 24, 2024. (Photo by Joan Gosa/Xinhua)
Barca has to win the game, which has been brought forward to allow it an extra 24 hours to prepare for next Tuesday's Champions League clash at home to Napoli, in order to keep in touch with Real Madrid. However, the fact that Barca's budget for the 2023-2024 season depends on it reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League, means it is vital for it to continue in Europe.
That means Xavi has to juggle a squad that lost two key players in last Sunday's 1-1 draw away to Athletic Club Bilbao, with Frenkie de Jong out for around a month with an ankle injury and Pedri sidelined for six weeks with yet another muscle problem.
It's not the first time this season that Pedri and De Jong have been sidelined and it's no consequence that Barca's best moments this campaign have come when the duo have been fit and their biggest problems, when they have been injured.
Xavi has tried to compensate by pushing central defender Andreas Christensen into midfield to provide muscle, with youngster Fermin Lopez looking to provide the energy and movement that Pedri (and Gavi, who is also injured) are able to give to the side.
With Oriol Romeu struggling for form and no room for errors against a defensively solid Mallorca, Xavi's options in midfield are limited, but he has to ensure his players are as fresh as possible for next Tuesday.
"At the moment, there's not a lot to choose from in midfield, at the moment the only natural midfielders we have are Fermin (Lopez) and (Ilkay) Gundogan," admitted the Barca coach.
"We will have to adapt some players, as we have done with Christensen, which has worked well and we could adapt Joao Felix, Raphinha or Sergi Roberto," he added.
The coach must be tempted to give minutes to the talented, but mercurial, Joao Felix, who continues to frustrate with glimpses of talent mixed with too many moments when he is virtually invisible on the pitch.
China is committed to managing Ren'ai Jiao issue through dialogue and consultation: FM spokesperson2024-04-30 01:36
Breakthrough laryngeal allotransplantation offers hope to patients in China2024-04-30 01:33
China calls for high2024-04-30 01:10
BRI an 'opportunity for all', says FM2024-04-30 00:55
11 missing in Guangdong rainstorm2024-04-30 00:52
ASEAN voices opposition to taking sides2024-04-30 00:50
Wang Yi: U.S. must be rational about China2024-04-30 00:34
FM: China supports int'l peace conference on Ukraine crisis2024-04-30 00:22
Monica Garcia suffers pregnancy loss: RHOSLC star, 39, reveals she lost her baby2024-04-29 23:55
China continues Sky Net anti2024-04-29 23:42
Kimbrel blows second straight save as Athletics win rubber game 72024-04-30 01:55
Expanding common ground underpins regional stability2024-04-30 01:42
Wang Yi: U.S. must be rational about China2024-04-30 01:41
Palestinians seek unity with appointment of new PM2024-04-30 01:36
Chinese premier meets Indonesian president2024-04-30 01:26
SPP committed to law2024-04-30 00:44
FM: China supports int'l peace conference on Ukraine crisis2024-04-30 00:26
NY tightens security in subways as crimes rise2024-04-30 00:19
Chinese orchestra group performs at Kenya's oldest university2024-04-29 23:59
Expanding common ground underpins regional stability2024-04-29 23:41