Andreas Christensen was one of the key players for FC Barcelona last season as the Catalans won the La Liga title after a break of some years. He adapted to his new team seamlessly after arriving as a free agent and had an extraordinary first season at the club.
However, the start to his second season at the club has not been as optimal, as the defender has not been 100% fit, with discomfort in his lower soleus forcing Xavi to carefully manage his minutes.
Christensen not fully fit in early season
The defender has not been able to complete most of the matches he has played this far in the season. For instance, Christensen started all the first five La Liga games for Barcelona but was substituted in all of them, playing forty-five minutes against Getafe and Villarreal, seventy-six against Betis, seventy-nine against Cadiz, and ninety against Osasuna before being substituted for injury time.
He played one full game with his national team, Denmark, against Finland but did not feature in the game against San Marino because of the pact between Barcelona and his national side.
Regaining his form
However, as SPORT has noted, the defender has already played 166 in the two games since returning from the international break and has been key in helping Ter Stegen keep two clean sheets.
While he still has some work to do to get back to his best form, his partnership with Kounde has allowed Xavi not to miss Ronald Araujo too much in the defense.
Araujo himself is nearing full recovery from his injury, and is expected to be available for selection for the upcoming match against Celta Vigo.
Once he returns, Xavi will be facing a difficult decision on which of these defenders to start, all of whom are in great form. Xavi will also have to carefully manage their minutes throughout the season, as they are all prone to getting injured when overworked.
