Xavi held his customary press conference this Friday prior to the match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club. The Barcelona head coach took this opportunity to comment on several matters related to the club and the team.
One of the highlights of this presser was Xavi’s comments on the players currently out with injuries, as the Catalans will be missing several important players because of physical problems in this upcoming match.
Xavi praises Araujo
SPORT reports that Xavi was specifically asked about Ronald Araujo, Ilkay Gundogan, Lamine Yamal, and Alejandro Balde in this press conference. As already reported here, the former two did not train with the group in the last training session, while the latter two also felt discomfort in their last matches.
Xavi reassured the fans that there was nothing to worry about these players and the four would be available for the match against the Bilbao team, as he stated: “All four will be at 100% for Sunday.”
Xavi also praised Araujo, who has represented Uruguay on the pitch after a long break, for his two matches with the international team over the last week:
“He has been very good. He felt comfortable, he’s at a hundred percent. He’s calm, doing well, we always try to protect him. He’s an important player, a leader for us.”
Returns from injury
However, Xavi also stated that other Barcelona players like Kounde, De Jong, Pedri, Roberto, and Raphinha, will still have to wait to get back into the team:
“The progress and sensations will determine when they return. The key is how they feel; that’s what will mark their comeback.”
On the other hand, Xavi sounded more optimistic about Lewandowski’s return in this match:
“He has very good feelings. He is a great leader and always moves forward; he wants to be there, and every day he feels less pain. He always pushes himself forward.”
However, it is still not clear whether the Pole will recover in time for the Real Madrid clash. Xavi will be hoping all the players can recover as soon as possible as the upcoming El Clasico will not only give the winner the bragging rights, but can also help the Catalans cut down the four point gap that Real Madrid have got over them.
