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Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has been full of praise for 19-year-old Marc Casado who has been called into first-team training this week after injuries to Hector Bellerin, Jules Kounde, and Ronald Araujo.
The Barca Atletic midfielder has been included in Xavi’s matchday squad for the team’s La Liga clash against Real Mallorca on Saturday, October 1 and the manager has explained why he’s been called up this week, as reported by Diario Sport.
“Marc is a versatile player and he has soul. He competes well, wherever he plays, he’s going to perform for you, whether he’s inside, pivot, central or lateral,” he explained. “He has a very positive character for the group and this is very good for the coach. He is a footballer that I like. For this he is with us.”
Casado has been playing in midfield for Barca Atletic but can play at full-back or even as a center-back. Xavi used Casado at full-back in pre-season and may be tempted to give him minutes at Son Moix on Saturday.
The Barcelona boss will be seriously short of right-back options for the match. Araujo, Kounde, and Bellerin are all sidelined with injury, while Sergi Roberto is also a doubt as he has only just returned from Achilles trouble.
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Xavi To Use Three Center-Backs?
Xavi could also tweak formation for the trip to Mallorca and use three center-backs instead of a back four. The coach spoke about his options but insisted he had not made a final decision yet.
“We have many options,” he said. “I have to see how Sergi Roberto is and Marc Casado is training with us. We could play with a back three or a left-back on the right. We will decide after training.”
The Barcelona boss does have Eric Garcia, Andreas Christensen, and Gerard Pique available who could feature as a three-man backline. Left-back Marcos Alonso could also play at center-back if required.
Xavi Frustrated By Barcelona’s Injuries
Xavi also spoke about his team’s injury problems following the international break. The coach will also be without injured Dutch duo Memphis Depay and Frenkie de Jong for his team’s next league outing, as reported by ESPN.
“It is frustrating. Araujo won’t be back for Madrid, that’s for sure, but the others could have a chance depending on how their recoveries go,” he said. “There are many factors why all these injuries have arrived. We don’t know the main reason. Long journeys, working with different methodologies, the load of games for the players. Each case is different and we are not looking to blame anyone. Maybe communication with the national teams could be better. It’s bad luck, but now is the moment to show we have a good squad.”
Barcelona’s injury situation will test Xavi’s squad, particularly with the team facing a hectic October. The Catalans play nine fixtures in all competitions and Xavi will be forced to rotate his squad to keep his players fresh.
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