Barcelona forward’s camp upset with Xavi over player’s lack of continuity in team – report

Days after beating Villarreal 3-0, Barcelona cruised to yet another resounding win at Spotify Camp Nou as they defeated Athletic Club 4-0 on Sunday night in La Liga.

Xavi made some notable changes to the starting XI for the game while also making some important tactical tweaks to catch Ernesto Valverde’s team off guard on the night. And his decisions paid off in the end, with Barça securing a commanding victory.

However, one player who is believed to be feeling hard done by the changes made by the manager is Ansu Fati. The 19-year-old has had very few starting opportunities this season but made a major impact against Villarreal when he featured from kickoff.

But, despite his impressive display, Fati was back on the bench against Athletic Club. And, according to journalist David Bernabeu Reverter, the young forward’s entourage is upset with Xavi and the club due to his lack of continuity in the starting lineup.

Fati endured a grueling past couple of years thanks to injuries and has been working very hard to get back to his best, especially with the FIFA World Cup coming up in less than a month.

But, Xavi and his staff have been extremely cautious with the teenage sensation and have largely opted to use him off the bench until they are assured that he is completely ready so that there is no risk of an injury relapse.

But this approach has seemingly not gone down too well with Fati’s camp.

Joan Fontes reported ahead of the clash against Athletic Club that the La Masia graduate sees himself as a starter and does not like coming on from the bench. But the same sentiment is not shared by Xavi’s coaching staff.

While Fati has played in all of Barcelona’s 15 official matches so far this term in all competitions, he has started just three of those. Considering the situation, his return of three goals and assists apiece is more than impressive.

With the team for the World Cup to be announced in close to two weeks, it is understandable that Fati would want to play with more continuity and his entourage would not be happy about the current circumstances as it might cost him a place in the Spain squad.

With Barcelona scheduled to play five more games before the World Cup break, it will be interesting to see how Xavi uses Fati in those matches.

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