FC Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has confirmed Ansu Fati’s return in Sunday’s La Liga clash against Mallorca.
The 19-year-old has been ruled out since January through a hamstring knock with his comeback delayed on more than one occasion.
Ahead of a vital fixture at Camp Nou where the Blaugrana need to lock down second place, though, Xavi guaranteed that the number ’10’ will be available for selection.
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“I’ll tell you in advance that Ansu will be there. He’s very good, he’s made a big change,” Xavi stated at his pre-match press conference.
“He’s very comfortable and has a good feeling,” Xavi added.
“Tomorrow, if everything goes well, he will play a few minutes at least,” the manager revealed. “He is smiling and he is differential. I am very happy to have him. You see different things [from him]. He is a special player and he will go very well for us”.
Despite Xavi quite clearly rating his charge, however, he is reluctant to put pressure on Fati to be individually brilliant and once again stressed the importance of the Catalans performing as a collective.
“I know what you mean by ‘crack’ an exceptional player” Xavi said. “I understand football as something collective.
“If we have only one who pulls the cart they all have to, each one in his role.”
“It is a clairvoyance that he is a special player, different. [But] he has to be very important from now on. One of the most ” Xavi concluded on the youngster.
As for Fati’s teammate Ousmane Dembele, who is battling tonsillitis, Xavi doesn’t rule out relying on the winger either during the next 90 minutes.
“He has done part of the training with the group, yesterday he had good feelings, today worse… We’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” the tactician explained.
As per Barca’s standing and goals for the rest of the season, Xavi stressed that you “have to challenge yourself”.
“Those who have the most desire are going to qualify for the Champions League. This is a club made to win titles. Second place is the minimum requirement.”
“It is a reality and you have to prepare yourself for that. You have to have faith to achieve the minimum objective,” Xavi concluded. (Forbes)
