The game against Girona is one that will test FC Barcelona to the limit. La Blaugrana are currently in a strong run of form in recent games and they will be hoping to keep it consistent. For Xavi’s Barcelona, this game holds much more weight than just three points.
However, there are definitely some irregularities heading into this game. Inigo Martinez remains unavailable while the inclusion of Marcos Alonso is also under examination. For this reason, 16-year-old Pau Cubarsi is set to enter the squad list for the clash.
Yet, despite Cubarsi being a talented young defender, there are others within the subsidiary also worth considering. This curiosity regarding the reasons behind Cubarsi’s selection is what has prompted SPORT to highlight them.
Merit over seniority:
In terms of age and experience, Cubarsi falls behind both Mikayil Faye and Mamadou Mbacke. The two defenders are aged 19 and 21 respectively, while the young Spaniard is only 16 years of age. However, his quality appeals to Xavi Hernandez for different reasons.
Orientation does not matter:
Another aspect that can create questions is the aspect of Mikayil Faye which is rather parallel to both Martinez and Alonso. Just like the two senior Spaniards, Faye is primarily left-footed.
However, it seems that Xavi once again did not take this into consideration when making his decision to choose Cubarsi over the Senegalese player.
Pure Barcelona DNA:
However, one aspect that most certainly did cross Xavi’s mind was the recognition of which player best suits his team. Cubarsi, raised and trained with La Masia, is built to be a Barcelona central defender.
His defensive traits are coupled with excellent technical abilities. Just as Inigo Martinez gained prominence courtesy of his incredible ball playing, Xavi likens Cubarsi’s way of dispatching the ball to that specific style.
Helping Rafa Marquez:
Lastly, Xavi and the first team are trying their best not to disrupt Barcelona Atletic. The subsidiary side, led by Rafa Marquez, has recently relied on both Mbacke and Faye as their primary defensive duo.
While Cubarsi was previously quite prominent, his departure for the Under-17 World Cup left Marquez no choice but to improvise. Since then, the two defenders have worked perfectly together and Cubarsi was now more or less available for Xavi to take away.
