Xavi to bench star forward in Barcelona vs Las Palmas – report
FC Barcelona enter 2024 with their eyes set on the first official task of beating UD Las Palmas. The team from the Canary Islands has been performing well this season and will be a real test for La Blaugrana. However, Barcelona themselves do not intend to back down after their inconsistent end to 2023.
With their very first game of the second half of the 2023/24 season set to take place on the 4th of January, Xavi’s side is already preparing for Las Palmas.
No more margin of error exists for Barcelona, and that will be reflected in this game. Needing all three points, certain decisions will be necessary for Xavi’s side to perform.
One of these decisions, according to AS, will be benching Joao Felix for the clash. Given his rather inconsistent recent run of form, Xavi and the coaching staff are not dealing with this issue lightly. They believe that merit should grant access to the team, and at the moment, Felix does not warrant it.
His performances, bar his immense display against Atletico Madrid, have proven to be subpar. Moreover, in the last game against Almeria, Xavi was quite distraught with the Portuguese forward’s display. So much so, in fact, that he substituted the Atletico Madrid loanee at half-time alongside Andreas Christensen.
As such, it is expected that his position will be taken over by Ferran Torres instead. While Xavi complained to Felix about his lack of determination and work rate, those complaints are seldom heard whenever Torres is involved. The Spaniard is much more diligent when it comes to helping out defensively, and he has been in fine form this season.
Moreover, he could also be accompanied by Vitor Roque at some point during the game. The Brazilian will don the number 19 and have the opportunity to debut for Barcelona against Las Palmas. Apart from Torres, it seems that Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha will likely complete the trident in attack.
For Felix, however, this could be a massive wake-up call. With Atletico Madrid likely to demand a huge fee for his permanent transfer, and the faith of the coaches slowly fading away, the forward needs to regain his own best levels and showcase them in the colors of Barcelona before it is too late.
