Despite there being two more games left to play, the current season is already over for FC Barcelona as they are not in contention for any trophy, and have also almost secured second place in the league.
As a result, it will be easy to understand if Xavi decides to give some well-deserved rest to some of his starters in the remaining games and give the fringe players a chance to shine in their stead.
One important player whom Xavi had not been using much even before securing the second place is the defender Ronald Araujo, who has also been linked with a move away from the club in the past few months.
However, according to a report from SPORT, the defender’s absence from the pitch has little to do with the uncertainty of his future at the club, and is mainly because of a pact between the defender and Xavi to avoid getting him on the pitch for unnecessary matches, as Araujo is not fully fit, and has some slight discomfort.
Xavi holds the Uruguayan defender in very high regard, especially because he has taken excessive risks to help his team at different occasions, but also because of his performance on the pitch and involvement in the dressing room. The head coach wants to keep him in his squad for the future project.
Thus, the lack of the defender’s involvement in the last few games has been more to benefit him, and Xavi has the backing of the club’s medical services to keep the player out of action for some time.
This policy will benefit Araujo for the upcoming Copa America, as he is an indisputable piece in Marcelo Bielsa’s side, and is also one of the captains of his national team.
Meanwhile, in Araujo’s absence, Xavi has been able to experiment with a new defensive axis of Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi, and this combination of youth and experience has served him and Barcelona rather well in the last few matches.
