Several players within the FC Barcelona squad this season have faced some sort of issue in remaining available. Certain players have already undergone suspension, and others continue to have their season riddled with injuries. Ultimately, Xavi’s Barcelona has been troubled when it comes to maintaining consistency.
Names like Marc Andre Ter Stegen, Gavi, Marcos Alonso, and Inigo Martinez are all currently injured. They have now recently also been joined by the likes of Golden Boy Pedri, who only just picked up a muscular injury. However, there are two players within the team who continue to be there when Xavi needs them most.
Both Ilkay Gundogan and Lamine Yamal, as highlighted by SPORT, have been Xavi’s most dependable soldiers this season. They have both appeared in every single game this season for Barça, 17 in La Liga as well as in all 6 appearances in the UEFA Champions League.
While it is true that Gundogan has done it more so as a starter, while Yamal has mostly been used as a substitute, it is simultaneously accurate that they have both remained fit and available.
Even when discomfort kicked in for the young 16-year-old during international duty, he was available for selection by the time Barça’s match came around.
More intriguingly, both stars are on the opposite ends of the age chart at Barcelona. Gundogan, aged 33, is the second oldest player in the team behind Robert Lewandowski. Lamine Yamal, on the other hand, is among the youngest players in the squad.
Impressively, Gundogan’s match fitness is a thing of admiration. In a midfield where he is surrounded by youngsters and developed players like Pedri, Gavi, and Frenkie De Jong, it is the veteran who has managed to remain injury-free this season.
Others like Fermin Lopez and Oriol Romeu have also been available, but neither is as deployed a participant as Ilkay Gundogan.
Moreover, the German veteran is also the single most used player in Xavi’s team at the moment. With 1867 minutes accumulated across all competitions, he is the top player in terms of minutes played for Barcelona.
Lamine Yamal, on the other hand, sits at 11th in the same rankings with 1077 minutes. This is primarily due to him being used more commonly as a substitute in games.
