Several key players at FC Barcelona have already been injured in the early stages of the season, preventing Xavi from deploying his best team.
However, the swift and simple adaptation of practically all of the significant recruits made in the recent summer transfer window, notably Ilkay Gundogan, Oriol Romeu, Joao Felix, and Joao Cancelo, has mitigated this lack of luck with injuries to some extent.
Xavi unable to field Felix and Pedri together yet
Still, if Xavi had all these players available, he would have been able to field an even more dominant team on the pitch than he has been able to this season.
As SPORT has noted, the Barcelona head coach has still not been able to play two players who can potentially create a very good partnership on the pitch, i.e., Pedri and Joao Felix.
Felix has been playing in a hybrid position at Barcelona, as he plays both as a winger and on the tip of the midfield square. He has become a fixture in Xavi’s lineup and has already scored three goals and given three assists in eight appearances for the club.
However, his performances could have been even better if he had been accompanied by Pedri. Both of them playing together can significantly enhance the precision of passing and playing between the lines, as both of them are adept at dribbling and making short passes in tight spaces.
Congested midfield for Xavi
But even if Xavi plays both Felix and Pedri in a four-man midfield, he will still have to make significant rotations as he has six players for four positions. Gavi, Gundogan, Romeu, De Jong, Pedri, and Felix will all need minutes throughout the season, while Fermin Lopez has also been making a case for himself in the last few weeks.
For now, Pedri is looking to return to the pitch, as he is expected to recover fully from his last injury. He can get his first minutes against Shakhtar Donetsk, and his inclusion will provide Xavi with another highly useful player in the squad.