Getty Xavi is missing Dembele.
Barcelona coach Xavi has offered his full backing to forward Ferran Torres who is going through a tough spell at the club and is struggling for form.
Torres signed for Barcelona in January 2022 from Manchester City but has failed to nail down a regular spot in the starting XI. The Spain international has only scored twice in 15 La Liga appearances in 2022-23 and has not found the back of the net since November.
Xavi has been asked about Torres’s struggles at a pre-match press conference ahead of his team’s La Liga match against Getafe and acknowledged he’s in the midst of a tricky spell, as reported by Toni Juanmarti. However, the coach is confident the goals will come for the attacker.
“What he doesn’t get is the goal. When there are many games in which he doesn’t score a goal, then confidence goes down,” he said. “He needs that goal, but he’s going to score it. We have blind faith in him. He’s given us a lot so far. His numbers aren’t bad at all.”
Torres will not feature against Getafe after picking up a two-match ban for a red card against Atletico Madrid. The suspension also means he will miss the trip to Girona in La Liga.
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Torres Vows To Improve
The Barcelona forward has openly admitted he’s found it difficult during his first year at Barcelona and that the club have not see the best of him. Torres told Barca TV he hopes to return to top form in 2023.
“This first year has been a learning curve. There have been some complicated moments, also some great moments. It’s a season in which I’ve learnt, I’ve grown as a football player,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve shown my best version yet but I’ve become mentally stronger. I think in my second year we will see the true Ferran Torres.”
Torres has 7 assists and 12 goals in 49 appearances for the Catalans. Yet Barcelona will surely have expected much more from a player who cost €55 million ($62m) from Manchester City.
What Next For Torres?
Xavi has his work cut out restoring Torres’s confidence. The 22-year-old is currently working with a psychologist in a bid to rediscover his best form, as reported by Diario Sport. Torres’s last outing came against third-tier side Ceuta in the Copa del Rey which offered a chance to get back to goalscoring ways.
Barcelona did indeed put five past Ceuta but Torres did not get on the scoresheet and ended up being replaced in the second half. He may get another chance to impress in the quarter-final clash against Real Sociedad.
Yet Torres will know he faces a real battle for minutes at Barca. Robert Lewandowski has come to the club and impressed, scoring 22 goals in just 23 games for the Catalan giants.
Ansu Fati is also starting to show signs of his best form with 3 goals in his last 5 games, while Ousmane Dembele is a regular in the starting XI and Raphinha is another option in attack for the Barca boss.
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