FC Barcelona will be back in action after the international break tonight as they face Elche in La Liga. While Barcelona’s league form means the Catalan club can comfortably take the three points from this match, there is still a point of worry for Xavi’s team.
This concern is about the possible suspension of three FC Barcelona players in the next match against Girona if they receive a yellow card against Elche. The three players in question are Sergio Busquets, Franck Kessie, and Ferran Torres. In addition to them, Ousmane Dembele also has 4 yellow cards to his name in La Liga and can be suspended if he gets another one after his return from injury.
All the players in the squad are important in this final stretch of the season, as Xavi is already facing an injury crisis. Important players like Pedri and Christensen will be unable to make an appearance in the upcoming matches due to injury.
Despite his age, Sergio Busquets’ importance for the team cannot be overstated, as he is the midfield anchor that provides stability and strength to the team. Missing him would definitely be a blow for the Blaugrana club.
The other two players, Kessie and Torres, while not automatic starters for the club, still are important as they will be needed to fill in the ranks of absent players. Kessie has already shown that he can impact games with his intensity and score important goals from midfield, while Torres can also be used by Xavi in later parts of the game on the wing.
Thus, Xavi has his work cut out for instructing his players to keep their calm in the match against Elche to avoid a booking, and will also have to manage the minutes of the squad carefully to ensure the team comes out as the Champion when the league season ends.
