Xavi assesses his midfield options

Former midfield maestro Xavi Hernandez has now fully integrated himself into life at the Camp Nou once again. This time however, it will be him calling the shots as head coach.

With Barcelona a struggling side at the moment, Xavi will need to change things and fast, with his main focus being his midfield.

The 41-year-old has a tough question ahead of him regarding who should sit in his midfield; and the new boss has plenty of options at his disposal.

Busquets

As someone who was so pivotal in the midfield trio that made Xavi famous, Sergio Busquets makes a great argument for himself being a staple in his side's starting 11.

De Jong

Frenkie de Jong has been a regular since joining the Catalans in 2019 and has been one of the club's more reliable players in that time.

Xavi will certainly aim to bring out the best in him, having had a pretty poor start to the season so far.

Pedri

Pedri made a huge name for himself at both club and international level last season and will be a strong contender to feature in Xavi's side.

However, since picking up an injury, Nico Gonzalez and Gavi have emerged and have put pressure on the youngster.

Riqui Puig

After bursting onto the scene and being labelled the next Andres Iniesta, Riqui Puig has struggled for game time in his spell under Ronald Koeman.

Hopefully Xavi can offer the 22-year-old some more opportunities.

Sergi Roberto

Another player that Xavi knows well, and one that can alternate between positions. Having played as a right-back and a midfielder during his time at the club, Sergi Roberto knows Barcelona inside and out.

With the arrival of Dani Alves back at the club, one would imagine that Roberto will be aiming to fit somewhere into the midfield.

Gavi

Spain's young star Gavi is the man of the moment and Xavi will undoubtedly be keen to guide him.

Coming out of nowhere, he has played a significant role for both Barcelona and Spain in 2021 so far and he will hope to continue making a difference at the club.

Nico

Nico Gonzalez is in a similar position to Gavi, albeit on a slightly smaller scale. He hasn't quite acquired the experience of Gavi yet, but Nico is keen to break through and cement a place in Barcelona's starting 11.

Adblock test (Why?)