Barcelona star “frustrated” after being left on the bench against Porto

Barcelona have a good problem to solve, who should start in central defence? When everyone is healthy, it gives Xavi quite a headache considering he has three top-class central defenders at his disposal, a problem that many coaches would love to have.

When you have too many good players and not enough spots, it’s bound to cause some friction. Earlier this season we heard that Yamal’s emergence had caused some issues with Raphinha, whose spot he’d occupied, although how much of that was media hype remains to be seen.

Now one Barcelona player on international duty has revealed that being left on the bench in a key game against Porto in the Champions League left him frustrated. Speaking to Danish media Sport TV2 (via SPORT), Andreas Christensen had this to say:

"“I was frustrated for not playing. I always will be if I don’t play. Only in the game against Mallorca did I think he needed to rest because he had some discomfort. But since I’m fit I want to play, so it was frustrating.”"

Christensen would be open to playing the pivot position for Barcelona

Right now Barcelona have an issue in midfield. Frenkie de Jong and Pedri are still missing and Oriol Romeu’s form has dipped over the last month. Christensen has previously played the pivot position sparingly:

“I would like to try it several times and have the opportunity to see what it is like. It could be a lot of fun. We’ve had some injuries and I think everything will be fine. “I’ve tried it before, so it won’t be new, but they haven’t asked me for it yet.”

It’ll be interesting to see if that option presents itself considering Xavi seems to like the combination of Kounde and Araujo at the heart of defence. Christensen’s passing makes him an ideal candidate for that position and when his obvious defensive ability allows him to protect the back four.