THE XI PLANNED BY XAVI FOR THE RETURN FROM THE BREAK
Xavi will not reserve Gündogan or Cancelo against Athletic
There is a lot of play for FC Barcelona after the national team break and, except for the mandatory changes due to injuries, Xavi Hernández will continue to rely on the same players. There will be no revolutions
The FC Barcelona prepares to take action after the stop of selections with a dangerous calendar of parties that can define a lot in this first stretch of the season. The ones of Xavi Hernández will receive to the Athletic Club in the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Compannys, this Sunday from the 21:00 hours to give beginning to a seguidilla of three clashes in six days. The exigenxia will be maximum for the blaugrana.
Big part of the players will face this stretch of clashes with very little time to recover by the international commitments that still are producing. Marc-André ter Stegen, Ílkay Gündogan and Ronald Araújo will be the last in returns to the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. It expects that, in front of the Athletic are very few the rotations and that the trainer egarense bet by his XI more headline, with compulsory changes by the injuries of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Koundé or Frenkie of Jong.
The possible protagonists in front of the Athletic
In this sense, is 'ensured' that Ter Stegen split under the three sticks in front of the bilbaínos and that will be backed by a defence in which it could go back to be Joao Cancel. It comes to add 180 minutes with Portugal and also to play it absolutely everything with the Barça. It will be, once again, in the right side. In the left, everything will depend on how advance Alejandro Balde of his annoyances in the aductores. In case that it was not available, Marcos Alonso will occupy his place.
The dispute will be in the axis of the defence. It foresees that Andreas Christensen will be headline and also there are rumours on that Iñigo Martínez can have his big opportunity after remaining in the bench in the last three clashes. It does not be necessary to overlook that Ronald Araújo will play during the morning of the Wednesday, the Uruguay-Brazil of the eliminatory, and that it could be benefited with rest.
Bet 'safe' in the medullary and doubts in the attack
In the medullary, Xavi pretends to take advantage of the 'reset' that has had Oriol Romeu by the stop of selections, in which it has remained in Barcelona, so that it go back to direct the room of machines with Ílkay Gündogan and Gavi like interiors. The two are in a big state of form, but also accumulate a dangerous quantity of minutes, especially the Teutonic. It will be necessary to see how deliver the minutes, with the possibility that Pedri González return to the announcement and the option of Fermín López.
Finally, in the forward will play the three players that are 'available'. Joao Félix will add a new presentation leading the left extreme, Ferran Torres will go back to do of '9' and is in the air the participation of a Lamine Yamal that is recovering of an injury in the psoas ilíaco of the left leg. The forecast is that it was smart for the party in front of the Athletic, but no descarta that it remain in the bench and play Fermín like false extreme or fourth midfield player.
