In terms of depth, FC Barcelona are struggling to find the right solutions for their problems. Despite initially coming into the campaign with a promising squad, the Catalans are now surely beginning to doubt that. Yet, Barcelona owe most of their misfortunes to unfortunate injuries that have ended up costing them great players.
Many of their starters and key players are already sidelined heading into an integral phase of the campaign. The latest to join the list of injured stars are Joao Felix and Ferran Torres, two very important forwards for Xavi’s team. With both of them available, the Barcelona coach has the facility of alternating between them for more options.
However, with both the Spaniard and the Portuguese star now injured, Xavi faces another huge dilemma. Yet, for the coach, the quarry could potentially give them the right combination and selection of players to fight this dilemma. Already this season, the Barcelona academy and subsidiary have given the club a lot of options and joy.
As such, SPORT has highlighted potential options that Xavi could look at to counter the lack of offensive threats available at his disposal. All three of these options provide their unique qualities, and offer danger in special ways.
Unai Hernandez (19-years-old):
Primarily an interior midfielder with great technical qualities, Unai Hernandez also has great versatility. In fact, one of the secondary positions where he has shown himself to be quite effective is the left wing. Rafa Marquez, coach of Barcelona Atletic, has deployed him in that role on several occasions.
For Xavi, Unai Hernandez is a player who stands out for his qualities. He remains as a regular in the first-team call-ups made by the Barcelona first-team coach but is still yet to debut. With the current injury crisis, it could be time for Xavi to finally let his faith in Unai shine and come across on the field.
Dani Rodriguez (18-years-old):
Another great player who possesses massive layers of versatility to his game, Dani Rodriguez is another option for Xavi. Coincidentally, he was even called up by the Barcelona first-team coach for the latest training session.
Capable as both a midfield player as well as a winger, he is a left-footed creator of chaos. Having the ability to unstable and unsettle opponents, he matches great technical composure with a lethal shot from distance. His qualities often unbalance opposition defenders, and he could also prove to be a great alternative for Xavi.
Other options:
Both Marc Guiu and Pau Victor are also great options to look at. Guiu is already an established and proven player with the first team, and his goal-scoring capabilities have shown themselves to be worthy of attention and trust.
Ultimately, Xavi has the backing of the quarry to deal with dilemmas such as this. Now, the only decision worth keeping an eye on remains the actual selection of whichever player gets to make their mark in the absence of two key first-team forwards.
