FC Barcelona is home to some of the most sought-after players in world football, and it is no surprise that Xavi Hernandez hopes to get the best out of most of them. However, there still exist certain players that become favorites of the head coach due to varying reasons.
For Xavi Hernandez in particular, there are four Barcelona players within the current squad that are deemed as absolutes or ‘untouchables’ in the starting eleven at all times when their involvement is compared to other stars within the team.
According to Spanish outlet Diario AS, Barcelona stars Frenkie De Jong, Marc Andre Ter Stegen, Jules Kounde, and Robert Lewandowski are the four players that Xavi has relied on the most since the start of the official La Liga 2023/24 campaign.
In terms of minutes, all four Barcelona players have accumulated 360 minutes each across the first four games of the La Liga season that saw them being deployed against Getafe, Cadiz, Villarreal, and Osasuna without any stoppages whatsoever.
The German goalkeeper has been the undisputed number one for Barca between the sticks for quite some time now, but now he also holds the added responsibility of being the club’s second captain by designation but typically finds his captaining his Barcelona squad more often than not due to the irregularity with which first captain Sergi Roberto is deployed.
Frenkie De Jong is similarly another player whose quality speaks for itself along with the fact that he is also now one of the captains for FC Barcelona. The Dutchman’s versatility and technical ability are both key components that make him an absolute necessity for Xavi Hernandez.
The case of Jules Kounde is not too dissimilar from the two mentioned thus far either. The French central defender has found arguably his best form yet as a Barcelona player after being more consistently deployed as a center-back rather than as a fullback on the right flank out of necessity.
His awareness, defensive strengths, and even commendable technical ability are all traits that have made him essential for Barcelona.
Last but not least is 35-year-old Polish striker Robert Lewandowski. Despite his rather slow start to the official season in terms of goals, the former Bayern star is gradually coming back to his best and it is without doubt that Barcelona and Xavi have complete faith in him.
A leader both on and off the pitch, his experience and quality remain unmatched and will be key for Xavi this season. However, while the other three players have played every single minute played in La Liga this season, Lewandowski was subbed off in injury time in the last match against Osasuna, after scoring a penalty in the 86th minute.