Bare bones Barcelona facing UCL selection headache

Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

The club are missing some key players

The way the 2019/20 campaign has gone for Barca, you could write a book about it. The only problem would be that no one would believe a word of it.

Just when you think we’ve seen it all in this longest of seasons, along comes Arthur to rattle a few more blaugrana cages.

Let’s be honest... whilst it’s extremely unprofessional conduct from the midfielder, it’s understandable.

Forcing him into a move he clearly didn’t want and then having his manager essentially saying in a press conference that he wouldn’t be considered for selection in general terms...

What would you do?!

Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

So, no Arthur in what are now the most crucial series of games of the campaign.

Will he be missed? Genuinely hard to say as we’ve played both well and poorly with and without him.

What his absence does do, however, is whittle down the squad numbers available for the Napoli game in the first instance.

Ronald Araujo was injured at the worst possible moment for Barca B in their match against Sabadell, and though he may not have started the match against the Italians either, he is proving himself to be an able deputy.

Injury almost certainly ensures he will play no part in the Napoli game, and with both Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti struggling with injuries, we approach the match with only one recognised defender - Gerard Pique - fit and able.

On the plus side, Ousmane Dembele is back in training and both Sergio Busquets and Arturo Vidal can deputise at centre-back if absolutely necessary.

We still have a certain Argentine ready to do the business too.

Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

It’s the age old ‘glass half full’ scenario, and it’s worth pondering that we’ve had our backs against the wall in the Champions League before and managed to defy the odds.

With each passing day, the ability to remain positive is getting harder and harder, but remain positive we must. We owe it to the players to give them our fullest support.

It’s alleged that Josep Maria Bartomeu and his board will seek to sue Arthur and his representatives for breach of contract.

Again, whilst understandable, do the club really need more negative publicity surrounding it when all of the focus should be on the job in hand?

It’s a stretch, but Barca are still capable of winning the trophy on their day. They haven’t had too many of those days in 2019/20, but if the big guns turn up then Quique Setien’s men have as good a shot as any.

If it isn’t to be, then the quicker this season is consigned to the dustbin, the better.

from Barca Blaugranes - All Posts https://ift.tt/307raeM

Categories: Barca Blaugranes - All Posts