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Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez is facing a selection nightmare ahead of his team’s first La Liga clash of 2022 against Real Mallorca at Son Moix on Sunday, January 2.
The boss is without a host of key players for the match due to a combination of injuries, positive Covid-19 tests, and suspension. Real Mallorca have also been affected and have announced seven positive Covid results ahead of the match.
Xavi is definitely without midfielders Gavi and Sergio Busquets who are suspended for the match because of yellow card accumulation. Both players picked up their fifth bookings of the season last time out against Sevilla which incurs an automatic one-match ban.
Dani Alves, Clement Lenglet, Jordi Alba, and Alejandro Balde also look set to miss out after testing positive ahead of Barca’s return to training after the festive period on Tuesday, December 28.
Barca have confirmed that all four players are in “good health” and now isolating at home. Journalist Toni Juanmarti has explained Barca “fear” there may be more positive results before Sunday’s kick-off.
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Barca Still Decimated By Injuries
Xavi is also without a host of players due to injury for the trip to Mallorca. Ansu Fati, Martin Braithwaite, Sergi Roberto, Sergino Dest, and Memphis Depay are all injured, while Pedri remains a doubt, as reported by Diario Sport.
New signing Ferran Torres is also unavailable as he continues to recover from a fractured foot and is not expected to make his debut until mid-January at the earliest. The forward has been brought in following Sergio Aguero’s early retirement due to a heart condition.
The situation means fringe players such as Samuel Umtiti, Philippe Coutinho, and Riqui Puig could all be handed rare starts. Youngsters such as Nico Gonzalez, Ez Abde, and Ilias Akhomach could also find themselves in the starting XI.
Big Chance For Riqui Puig?
One player who will certainly be hoping to get the nod is Puig. The 22-year-old has made 10 appearances in all competitions so far this season but has not managed a single start for Barcelona.
The arrival of Xavi as manager had looked like being good news for Puig, but he’s only made four substitute appearances under the new coach. The problem for Puig has been the emergence of teenagers Gavi and Nico Gonzalez who have impressed this season and moved ahead of the midfielder in the reckoning.
Yet Puig could well feature against Real Mallorca alongside Nico and Frenkie de Jong in midfield with Gavi and Busquets out. The game offers Puig a chance to stake a claim against a side that have won just four times in La Liga in 2021-22.
Puig should also start again in Barca’s following game which is a Copa del Rey tie against Linares Deportivo on Wednesday, January 8. Xavi will be expected to rotate his team and offer fringe players more minutes against the third-tier side.
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