Barcelona came out victorious against a struggling Valencia side on the 24th matchday of the season after a hard-fought 1-0 triumph at Camp Nou. The Catalans suffered through the entirety of the match to seal the victory against Los Murciélagos.
Several eyebrows were raised when Franck Kessie replaced Frenkie de Jong after the half-time interval and Xavi was asked about this decision in his post-match interview. The Blaugrana coach confirmed that the Dutch midfielder was taken off due to hamstring discomfort.
Xavi further explained that the player was already very fatigued after the match against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu and the substitution was a precautionary measure.
Barcelona are already facing injury woes and will be hoping that it’s nothing serious as several key players are already being sidelined due to injuries and suspension.
Ronald Araujo will also miss the upcoming match against the Athletic Club as he was red-carded in the 59th minute against Valencia. However, Xavi could recover Robert Lewandowski in time for the crucial league game against the Basque club.
Pedri and Dembele are also in the final stages of their recovery periods and expected to get the medical green light ahead of the league Clasico set to take place on the 19th of March at Camp Nou.
