The midfield pivot position has been a source of headache for the FC Barcelona head coach, Xavi Hernandez, throughout this season.
Sergio Busquets’ departure at the end of the last season left a big hole in the club’s midfield, which the Catalans tried to fill in with Oriol Romeu, but have not been satisfied with how the former Girona man has performed.
Since the last few weeks, Xavi has been using one of the center-backs, Andreas Christensen, in this position, and this change has paid off good dividends for Barcelona as they have qualified for the UCL quarter-finals and also performed well domestically.
However, there is bad news for Barcelona fans ahead of the match against Las Palmas, as Christensen was unable to recover from the discomfort he suffered before the match against Atletico Madrid.
Previously, it was hoped that the Dane would be able to recover in time for this game, but now this is almost impossible as SPORT reports that he did not train with his teammates in the last training session on Friday.
Xavi is expected to provide some updates on the defender’s condition in his press conference, but for now, it is clear that he is still suffering from the problem that kept him from joining his national team for the last international break.
His absence could be a big loss for Xavi, as his move higher up the pitch has been integral in helping Barcelona turn their form around. Furthermore, Xavi will also find himself spread thin at the back, as Ronald Araujo was also not able to play for Uruguay because of a physical problem.
In such a context, Xavi can count on the Barcelona Atletic defender, Mikail Faye, who made his international debut with Senegal, and impressed everyone with his performance. But Christensen’s return before the match against PSG will be essential if the Catalans are to advance to the semi-finals.
