There is a certain expectation at Barcelona to always provide results and titles. This season has disappointed on that end of the stick, and there were several factors behind it being so. One of the primary setbacks for Barcelona was undoubtedly a lack of specialists and their injury problems.
Without a reliable pivot to go about the season, Xavi Hernandez had to resort to using alternative measures. One of those measures ended up being his Danish defender, Andreas Christensen. The former Chelsea man, used to having occasionally played as a defensive midfielder, ended up rising to the occasion.
However, recent games have seen him be substituted by Xavi rather early. To be specific, in both the last two matches, Christensen has been replaced at halftime by some other player. SPORT reports that the reason behind this is primarily a mix of both tactical decisions and physical improvisations.
The Danish defender has struggled this season with discomfort in his Achilles tendon since the beginning of the campaign, as per speculation. Now, to avoid it becoming a more severe problem, Xavi is reportedly controlling his minutes in a way that allows him to have prominence but also stay on the safe side.
Even then, the 28-year-old has continued to fight through the pain for Barcelona. Despite those physical irregularities, he has adapted well to his new role and continues to be an ever-present guardian of sorts for the Catalan giants. Some of the most impressive Barcelona victories this season have even come with him at the heart of everything.
With just five matches left to play in the league, Barcelona aspires to win every single match and retain second place at the very least. However, Christensen’s minutes will likely remain controlled, and even his latest training session was done as specific work rather than as a planned group training.
Time will tell what the future of the Dane is at Barcelona, but it appears that Xavi already considers him a dependable pivot. In the last 9 matches of La Liga that he has participated in, 8 of them have come as appearances as a pivot. This just goes to show where exactly his future would lie in Barcelona if he continues within Xavi’s team.
