Vitor Roque is the latest addition to the FC Barcelona squad, and while he is expected to be an important player for the Catalan club for years to come, there were expectations that the youngster would also have an immediate impact on the team.
However, the Brazilian has been almost inconspicuous in his first few days at the Blaugrana club. Having not played a single minute in the Super Cup, everyone was expecting to see Roque start the match against Unionistas, especially as he had recovered from the hamstring issue that kept him away from the pitch in Saudi Arabia.
Furthermore, Raphinha was out with an injury, and Lamine Yamal was suspended for this match, making it even easier for Roque to get onto the pitch with Ferran Torres. However, to everyone’s surprise, Xavi played Marc Guiu as the center-forward in this match, while Roque, Lewandowski, and Pau Victor remained on the bench.
Roque’s absence from the starting eleven was a surprise for many, especially considering that the club was counting on his contributions in the second half of the season.
FC Barcelona had favored bringing him in the winter market, instead of a midfielder, while a replacement for Gavi would have made things significantly better for Xavi.
As things stand, Roque has played only 46 minutes since his arrival in Barcelona. According to Diario AS, Xavi wants him to play, but the player himself does not feel 100% ready to start games yet and believes he needs more minutes coming off the bench to be match-fit.
Now, the game against Real Betis will be another opportunity for Vitor Roque to get on the pitch. It remains to be seen how many minutes he will get in this match, and when he opens his scoring account with his new club.
