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Barcelona have come up with a “special plan” for center-back Gerard Pique to ensure the 33-year-old is in the “best possible condition” for some crunch fixtures at the end of October.
The Catalan giants take on Real Madrid in La Liga and Serie A champions Juventus in the Champions League and think it would be “catastrophic” if Pique were to miss the games, according to Javier Miguel at AS.
Pique has therefore had a different training plan to his team-mates this week. The veteran trained in the gym on Monday and exercised alone on the pitch on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Barcelona showed the defender in action at the Ciutat Esportiva:
Pique will also get some rest before Barcelona’s next fixture on October 18. La Liga is currently on hold due to the international break, but Pique is not involved having retired from Spain duty in 2018.
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Barcelona Short of Defensive Options
The defender’s importance to the team cannot be understated, particularly following the close of the transfer window. Barca sent defender Jean-Clair Todibo on loan to Benfica but failed in their attempts to land Eric Garcia, leaving the club a little short of defensive options.
Manager Ronald Koeman has only Pique, Clement Lenglet, Ronald Araujo, and Samuel Umtiti as senior center-backs in his squad. Araujo has only just been promoted from Barcelona B, while Umtiti has struggled with injury in recent seasons.
Koeman has therefore opted to call up 18-year-old Santiago Ramos Mingo to his matchday squad for Barcelona’s most recent fixtures. However, the teenager lacks top-level experience and is yet to make his debut for the first team.
Barcelona Defense Faces Big Test
Barcelona’s defense has looked improved in the club’s first three games of 2020-21 under Ronald Koeman. The Catalans have conceded just one goal in matches against Villarreal, Celta, and Sevilla, but Pique and Co. will face stiffer tests as the month progresses.
The club’s tricky run of fixtures should also prove more of an idea of where the team is under Koeman. A bright start has yielded seven points out of a possible nine but a hectic schedule awaits at the end of the month.
Barca play Getafe, Ferencvaros, Real Madrid, and Juventus in the space of 10 days, and Pique will be expected to start all four games. The 33-year-old may be heading towards the end of his career but remains a commanding figure in the Barcelona defense and a key figure for Koeman.
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