The upcoming game against Royal Antwerp does not exactly have much at stake for FC Barcelona. With five match days already having passed, the UEFA Champions League group standings are pretty much decided. However, a different kind of purpose may await certain Barcelona players.
As it stands, Barcelona sit atop their Champions League Group H. The Catalan giants already have 12 points to their name, while both FC Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk have 9. With qualification already sealed, Xavi could decide to give some new faces a chance in the game against Royal Antwerp.
As highlighted by SPORT, one of the most promising additions to the squad against Antwerp is Hector Fort. The 17-year-old Barcelona Atletic defender has been called up by Xavi and included in the squad list to travel to Belgium.
The young Spaniard has been one of the most exciting young names in the country. Already jumping over the many hurdles that have come his way, Fort has continued to climb the ranks within the Barcelona subsidiary.
Already an exceptional defender, he excels both as a central defender as well as a defensive midfielder. On top of that, he is also versatile enough to be deployed effectively as a fullback and even on the wing. The young Barcelona starlet seems to have a tendency to find the back of the net as well.
Even in the U-17 FIFA World Cup in Indonesia, Fort was a shining star. As per SPORT, he was arguably Spain’s best player alongside Pau Cubarsi. Interestingly, both young stars are included in Xavi’s call for the game against Antwerp.
This marks the second occasion in the Champions League that Fort has been given a call-up to the first team. Overall, this is his fourth involvement with the first team in an official match. He was previously in the squads that took on Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid this season.
