Frenkie de Jong’s fitness has been in focus this week, with many expecting the Dutchman to be a part of the squad against Paris Saint-Germain.
Even if de Jong receives the green light to participate in the game, though, there are doubts as to whether or not he will be able to start the match.
There were concerns that de Jong does not have the ‘match rhythm’ to start a game for Barcelona just yet – especially against a team like PSG.
Xavi has other ideas
Xavi Hernandez, though, appears to have other ideas and has not ruled out starting de Jong against PSG this midweek.
According to Oriol Domenech, the Dutchman is aiming to start against PSG. His chances of starting have been boosted by the fact that Xavi is working on a tactical change that would help him accommodate the former Ajax starlet.
It remains unclear as to what exactly Xavi is cooking up behind the scenes. But Domenech does refer to something along the lines of man-marking.
It appears one-on-one man marking could be a strategy for Barcelona as they look to neutralise the ball-carriers of PSG, as well as the forwards from running behind the defensive lines.
A man-marking strategy, though, does require more fitness and ‘match rhythm’, which does not really favour de Jong at the moment.
If anything, Andreas Christensen is much more suited to that role and perhaps even Oriol Romeu. However, should Xavi get the luxury of accommodating de Jong instead of Sergi Roberto in midfield, we can expect him not to back out of it.
