Everything Barca
Fansided

Barcelona boss Quique Setien’s plan for the Champions League

By Nishant Narayanan

Barcelona's new coach Quique Setien (L) gives a press conference with Barcelona's president Josep Maria Bartomeu (C) and football director Eric Abidal (R) during his official presentation in Barcelona on January 14, 2020, after signing his new contract with the Catalan club. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP) (Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)
Barcelona's new coach Quique Setien (L) gives a press conference with Barcelona's president Josep Maria Bartomeu (C) and football director Eric Abidal (R) during his official presentation in Barcelona on January 14, 2020, after signing his new contract with the Catalan club. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP) (Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 7
Next
Jordi Alba of FC Barcelona injured over the pitch during the Liga match between FC Barcelona and Getafe CF . (Photo by
Jordi Alba of FC Barcelona injured over the pitch during the Liga match between FC Barcelona and Getafe CF . (Photo by /

Access The Injuries and Suspensions Correctly

Barca have suffered through suspensions and injuries throughout this season and the lack of depth has been one of the greatest weakness of the current squad. Setien must carefully analyze and plan this journey in the Champions League to make the most of what is available to him.

The first clash will be the second leg of the round-of-16 match against Napoli, where Barca have both Arturo Vidal and Sergio Busquets unavailable due to suspension. Meanwhile, Arthur Melo has yet to play a match since his Juventus move was announced. This means that the midfield trio could potentially be Frenkie de Jong, Sergi Roberto, and Riqui Puig, with Ivan Rakitic on the bench.

While Puig has found a constant place in the starting lineup in recent matches, De Jong has just returned from an injury and would need to train hard within the week to find his perfect version for the match. Meanwhile, Sergi Roberto has also been a solid addition both offensively and defensively.

The issue is that the tournament is going to be held in a back-to-back fashion where the club’s do not have much time to recover, and with no option on the bench, Setien is forced to play his starting lineup for the entire duration of a tough match, increasing the chances of injury. While it remains to be seen whether the club struggles from more injuries than they already have, Setien must closely monitor the health of the players to avoid sidelining at all costs.

Home/FC Barcelona News