Xavi Hernández will go for it all. He is aware that Wednesday’s game against Real Madrid is more than a semi-final in pursuit of a title: It is a unique opportunity to hit the table and show, once and for all, that Barcelona is back, just as President Joan Laporta proclaimed from the rooftops this week.
And to achieve this major challenge of defeating Real Madrid, Xavi needs his best elements by his side. To get started, he is crossing his fingers so that both Pedri and Ferran Torres come out negative. The two players have been systematically testing positive in the PCR for five days, so they continue in their home confinement, which in the worst case would not end until Thursday. TOAt the same time, everyone in the club is awaiting the results of the PCR this Monday morning before traveling to Arabia: if they test negative, the two will travel to Riyadh.
In addition, if Ferran travels, it will not be to start on the bench, but rather Xavi intends to give him stripes from day one as one of his great offensive assets. To do this, Barcelona, through its football director, Mateu Alemany, has to manage to lighten part of the salary bill in the coming days. And it is that with the departure of Philippe Coutinho, on loan until June 30 to Aston Vila, it will not be enough. In any case, If Ferran is negative on Monday, Alemany has promised Xavi to close one more exit, within 48 hours, in order to register the former City forward and that he can play on Wednesday against Madrid. Some operations are still open and would be about to close, such as the departure of Yusuf Demir and the renewal or not of Dembélé.
Another player who has all eyes pending on the club is Ronald Araújo. The Uruguayan central was intervened for two fractures of his right hand this Friday, so everything indicated that it would be between two to three weeks off. However, Araújo, showing that Uruguayan spirit of sacrifice, is willing to step forward and make himself available to the coach for Wednesday’s game, five days after having undergone surgery. To achieve this, you will need the help of a protection splint, since the points of the operation will not yet be closed.
In fact, Xavi’s need for Araújo has increased after the confirmation of Eric Garcia’s injury, As AS announced, he will not be available for the Super Cup, having a tear in the biceps femoris in his right leg.
With Torres and Araújo in the starting eleven, Xavi would already have two of his most coveted pieces on the field, in the absence of Pedri and Ansu Fati, who could add between 25 to 30 minutes in the second half. The canary, in any case, would first have to test negative on Monday in the PCR test to be able to travel to Arabia.
Another player who will also be on the list for the Super Cup is Frenkie de Jong. The dutch not ruled out, despite muscle elongation who suffered in the Cup match. In principle, Xavi also has his participation against Madrid.
With all these weapons together with a Ter Stegen who once again has a glass half full of confidence, an Alves who has shown that he has left rope for a while, some captains like Sergio Busquets, Alba and Piqué who always show their faces, a Nico and Gavi who are all talent and youth, a Dembélé, as erratic as it is surprising and chaotic, and a Luuk de Jong, who seems to be determined to continue in the game. club based on goals, Xavi hopes to give the blow to Real Madrid.