What is the solution for a Barcelona midfield shaken by injuries? | Top Vip News

The Athletic Club match was a great opportunity for Barcelona to cut Real Madrid’s lead in the standings.

With Napoli winning form, having demolished Sassuolo 6-1, followed by a 2-1 defeat to Juventus that gave them confidence, the Catalan giants needed a big win to keep their title hopes alive. .

Instead, they dropped two points and lost two of their most important players to injuries.

Frenkie de Jong and Pedri will be out for at least six weeks.

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During that time, Barcelona will have challenges against Mallorca, which has reached the final of the Copa del Rey, Naples in the round of 16 of the Champions League, Atlético de Madrid and, finally, a Las Palmas that has been one of the surprises of this League. League season.

For good measure, you should expect Pedri and Frenkie to be out for the entire upcoming Clásico on April 21. As always, the media will tell you to conveniently mark the date as the time when key players return. But in reality, Barcelona will be cautious, meaning they may not have their best midfield trio.

After all, Gavi is also sidelined as he recovers from a torn ACL.

So no Gavi, Pedri or De Jong. If you had said that at the beginning of the year, panic would set in.

Just throw in the towel and hope for better luck next season.

In La Liga, if Sam Mames’ lackluster performance is any indication, that’s what they’ve already done.

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That makes the game against Napoli, sad as it may seem, the most important game left. If they do not perform well and emerge victorious, it will likely be their last meaningful match of the campaign.

A quick look at the squad and you’ll discover that Barcelona have the following options left.

Andreas Christensen, the new Blaugrana defensive midfielder.

Oriol Romeu, the former Blaugrana defensive midfielder when the season started.

Sergi Roberto, the intrepid captain who occupies the bench.

Fermín López, who just had a rude cameo that has generated criticism. However, given the circumstances, having to replace two players in two positions, perhaps we should be more lenient.

The only guarantee is Ilkay Gundogan, who at 33 years old has been the most used Barça player of the season.

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What would you do if you were Xavi?

The simplest, and I think likely, move would be to keep Christensen where he has been playing and then have Gundogan and Sergi Roberto play in attacking roles.

Roberto, however, is coming off an injury and will not be in top form. Even if he were completely fresh, the decision would not inspire confidence on the pitch or among the Barça faithful, even though he has scored some key goals this season.

Given the situation, I wouldn’t be surprised if Xavi went this route, especially given Roberto’s experience in important games, including one of the most epic moments in Barcelona history against PSG.

But what if we give a vote of confidence to Fermín López? Especially at a time when he will be eager to fight back and prove the skeptics wrong after his latest outing.

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In my opinion, this would be a risky measure, but one that has the potential to bear fruit.

What does Barcelona really have to lose?

Sergi Roberto knows Barcelona’s way of playing and can help maintain possession. You know what you’re going to get. But to me it’s dangerously predictable.

With Fermín, that is the compensation. Although he grew up in La Masia, he is still a bit inexperienced in those classic Barcelona midfield qualities on the ball.

But he has also proven to be a fighting and hard-working player. A physical presence, who can be a threat in the final third.

Barcelona can fall in any way.

With Fermín you are giving a young player an audition, to see if he has a future on the team.

Roberto will surely be gone at the end of this season.

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I haven’t mentioned Romeu much. But could a double pivot be offered alongside Christensen or Gundogan?

At the end of the day, neither of these options are interesting.

Could the coach surprise everyone with a wildcard selection of Joao Cancelo? It has been talked about all season as a possibility, given the winger’s technical qualities, but we have yet to see it materialise. But is now the right time or time to experiment?

Xavi will have to think carefully about how he will line up against Mallorca, because just around the corner there is a game against Napoli that he must do well.

Player selection will be key.

And it will also do it in game management. But with so little depth at the midfield position, changes are likely to come in other areas.

What would you do with Barça’s midfield if you were in charge?

There are no easy answers.