Slowly but surely, Xavi’s players are getting back together at Barcelona ahead of the Girona clash. Injuries, absences, and other issues have made recent training sessions feel a bit empty. However, right before the big Catalan clash arrives at the Montjuic Stadium, Barcelona have hope again.
First came the news of a returning Raphinha. Having been out due to fatigue and overloads, the Brazilian winger is now back in training. Most recently, however, another key Barcelona player has also returned after previously having requested to miss training.
As per SPORT, Danish defender Andreas Christensen has now also returned to training. The 27-year-old defender was a vital performer against Atletico Madrid, but his subsequent absence from training left many curious and some worried.
However, his reason was ultimately personal rather than physical. Expecting another child, he requested for a leave from both the Thursday and Friday training sessions. Now, given that it is speculated that the childbirth process went by successfully, the Dane has finally returned.
Given the injury to Inigo Martinez, it is expected that Christensen will likely start against Girona. He will have to partner either of Ronald Araujo or Jules Kounde in the heart of the defense to ensure that Girona is kept at bay.
However, therein lies another dilemma for Xavi Hernandez. Marcos Alonso is currently housing a minor injury, and in the scenario that he does not end up making the final squad against Girona, Xavi’s lineup from the last game being repeated would mean no first-team center-backs are left on the bench.
This could possibly lead to Xavi making the decision to start two instead of three central defenders. By shifting Joao Cancelo to the right-back position and bringing Alejandro Balde back in, the rest of the two positions would have to become contested.
With Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, and Andreas Christensen all being top-level first-team defenders, a tough decision could follow. In that scenario, it would be interesting to see exactly which player Xavi ends up wanting to start.
