In the last two matches that FC Barcelona have played in La Liga, Andreas Christensen started in midfield but was taken off at half-time by manager Xavi Hernandez.
While the Dane has been a key player and performed well operating as a pivot midfielder, he has had fitness problems throughout his stint at Barcelona.
In fact, Christensen did miss a chunk of matches over the last month or so due to an Achilles tendon issue.
Xavi ‘protecting’ Christensen
Now, SPORT has come forward with an update on Christensen’s fitness and how that has impacted his game-time in the last two games against Real Madrid and Valencia.
As per the report, Christensen has been struggling with an Achilles tendon problem since the start of the season.
Despite this, the Dane has shown his commitment and has been willing to help the team, resisting the discomfort. However, there is some concern within the club with regard to his physical condition.
In the last two games, Xavi has replaced him at half-time for tactical reasons, but also for physical reasons. It’s a question of dosing the efforts well and measuring each player’s workload.
Against Real Madrid, Fermín Lopez replaced him and against Valencia it was Sergi Roberto who took his place.
There are now five league games left and Xavi does not want to lose him at any cost. In fact, in Tuesday’s training session he was left to do specific work, while the players who did not play against Valencia or had few minutes, worked out intensely.
With the La Liga title out of their reach, Barcelona can best hope to finish second in La Liga, in order to qualify for the Spanish Super Cup for the next season.
And clearly, Xavi sees it as imperative to have Christensen in a fit condition for the final phase of the season.
