FC Barcelona won the La Liga title last season and the team’s defence was one of the most important contributors to this success.
The Catalans had a nearly historical season with regards to the defensive side of the game and have even further strengthened their defense in the summer.
The major defensive reinforcement that joined the Catalan club’s ranks in the summer was the centre-back, Inigo Martinez. The 32-year-old joined the Camp Nou side as a free agent after his contract with Athletic Club came to an end at the end of June.
Martinez is a veteran defender who has extensive experience of playing in La Liga as he made his debut at twenty years of age with Real Sociedad after coming through the ranks at La Real. The player joined Atheltic Club in 2018 and has been a defensive bulwark for the Basque side for the last five years.
This summer, Barcelona went in for the defender in order to further enhance their defense, which already boasts a number of high-profile center-backs including Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, etc.
However, Barcelona might not be able to count on the services of their latest defensive addition, as the journalist Sergio Capdevila of SPORT reports that the player has still not fully recovered from the injuries that he was already suffering from when he joined Barcelona.
His return to action is also not expected to take place soon, and it would be difficult for him to get into action before September. Thus, Martinez may not be available for Xavi for the initial matches of the 2023-24 La Liga season.
This might not be too much of a headache for Xavi as the center-back position is well-covered even with Martinez’s absence. However, the coach would be expecting the player to regain full fitness as soon as possible, as a grueling season lies ahead for his team, and Martinez’s experience and defensive prowess can contribute significantly to the club’s success this season.
