Barcelona and Xavi look ahead to a tough run to end 2023

Barcelona have no choice but to overcome Gavi’s serious injury sustained while on national team duty, one which will keep him out of action for at least the next eight months. The calendar gives no respite and the azulgrana must turn away from the negative feelings and focus on what lies ahead, something which, even under normal circumstances, would be hugely challenging.

The team trained on Wednesday at the club’s facilities with the welcome additions of both Andreas Christensen and João Cancelo, who was missing due to a fever. Xavi Hernández will have to have his thinking cap wrapped tightly round his head when it comes to selecting the starting eleven against Rayo Vallecano, as he chooses a starting XI and squad that takes into account the minutes played by those who travelled with their national teams.

Which players are injured and who has recovered?

Frenkie de Jong returned to training after he was absent with the club’s permission on Tuesday. The presence of the Dutch midfielder is especially important right now considering the huge hole left by Gavi. The Catalan team’s ability to dictate and control games has suffered without the former Ajax metronome, who returns at a crucial moment with the debate surrounding Barcelona’s style laid out flat the table. Having him at Vallecas, Rayo’s home stadium, will be a huge plus for Xavi, who is fully aware that more than just three points are at stake in the coming matches.

The coach will continue to monitor the evolution of Ter Stegen, who left the German national team due to an acute back problem and should return to training with Barça this Thursday. As things stand, he should have no problem to be back for Saturday’s game, although we will have to wait to see how he feels after a few days of rest.

Full screen

Barcelona’s playing style has been questioned

As the debate surrounding Barcelona’s style of play under Xavi rages on, the club are facing a set of demanding tests: starting with Rayo Vallecano away from home. Rayo are a team that always presses high at Vallecas and bringing your A-game is the only way to get anything from them as the crowd pushes them on at every step. Added to that the fact that post-international break fixtures always carry a further level of uncertainty and one quickly arrives with all the ingredients needed for a slip-up.

Barça cannot wait and be reactive if they want to keep pressing up against the top teams in the LaLiga table, and they also need to gain confidence to face the Champions League match against Porto on Tuesday 28th at their home ground of Montjuïc. Simply put: qualification for the Round of 16 is at stake and very possibly top spot in the group.

Barcelona’s next games can cause problems

At Porto’s Estádio Do Dragão stadium, where Barcelona escaped with a narrow 0-1 win, we saw exactly what kind of game the Portuguese team can play: an intense, high-pressure performance that made it difficult for Barça to bring the ball out from the back. Xavi’s team struggled to find solutions but in Barcelona they must stand up and be counted.

The tie against Porto is a match marked in red on the calendar as neither the players nor the club can afford to go into the last Champions League Group Stage game against Antwerp without having secured their ticket to the Round of 16.

And there’s more: just after the match against the impressive Portuguese outfit, Barça will host Atlético de Madrid at Montjuïc, in another gruelling test in LaLiga. As well as that, right before the Champions League Group Stage comes to and end, Xavi’s team will also welcome league leaders Girona at home, another tough nut to crack as the Catalan side, who have been Spain’s best performers so far this season, will want to continue to make history on their fantastic run.