“When he comes back, we’ll decide” – Xavi on exciting Barcelona forward

Ez Abde is enjoying an encouraging loan spell at Osasuna and could prove to be a positive headache for Barcelona boss Xavi come end of the season.

Ever since Ousmane Dembélé’s injury Barca have lost an edge to their attack. The Frenchman bagged five assists in 18 La Liga games through his unpredictable dribbling. But in his absence, the likes of Raphinha and Ferran Torres have not managed to put the opposition defence to the sword like the two-footed winger.

The Brazilian struggled to get past Real Madrid‘s make-shift left-back Eduardo Camavinga in the Copa del Rey semi-final defeat last week. Tyrell Malacia also enjoyed a comfortable outing on the flank at Camp Nou in Barcelona’s Europa League first-leg encounter in February. Torres, meanwhile, has never been known to trouble defenders through his silky feet.

The arrival of club legend Lionel Messi will certainly change that, adding a whole different level of a threat going forward. But there’s no guarantee he will leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season.

Xavi gives his thoughts on exciting Barcelona forward

However, Barcelona already have an in-house solution in Abde, who has been one of La Liga’s trickiest wingers this season. Speaking about the prospect of the exciting forward’s return, Xavi said:

"Abde is making the most of his loan, he’s making a difference and we’re very happy with him. At Barça, you need players at that level. When he comes back, we’ll decide. But Abe can be important for us."

Over the weekend, the Moroccan talent tormented Elche’s defence, scoring a brace in Osasuna’s 2-1 victory.

This comes on the back of his incredible driving-run goal against Athletic, which gave his side an all-important advantage in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. Osasuna will now face Real Madrid in the final of the competition, providing Abde a great opportunity to take revenge for his parent club, Barcelona.