Some of the additions made by FC Barcelona in the last summer transfer window have quickly adapted to become some of the most trusted players for Xavi.
Ilkay Gundogan’s quality was never in any doubt, and he has taken Barcelona’s midfield a notch higher since his arrival at the Catalan club. Oriol Romeu was also an important player for Xavi after his arrival, but his fortunes have gone downhill in the last few matches.
Felix and Cancelo with the most consecutive starts
However, as Mundo Deportivo has noted, Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo remain the most impactful of the summer arrivals, as they have accumulated the most consecutive starts at Barcelona, i.e., 10. The two have been a part of Xavi’s starting eleven since Matchday 5 when Barcelona hosted Real Betis at the Montjuic.
Since that match, the duo has played in seven league matches and three UEFA Champions League matches. The duo is followed by another summer arrival, Ilkay Gundogan, in this aspect, who has accumulated nine consecutive starts.
Little rest for the duo
Among the two Portuguese internationals, Cancelo is the one who has played the most in the last one and a half months. In addition to his game time with Barcelona, Cancelo has also played two matches with Portugal against Slovakia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The fullback is playing a game every three and a half days and does not have any relief in sight with Sergi Roberto also out injured. Joao Felix has played only one less match than Cancelo in this period, but both have accumulated more than 1000 minutes.
Barcelona have another ten games upcoming till the end of the current year. Some difficult games await the Catalans in this phase, including against Atletico Madrid, Girona, and Real Sociedad, as well as three important games in the Uefa Champions League.
There will be another international break in mid-November, and Felix and Cancelo will have very few opportunities to rest.
