Barcelona veteran could be recalled to the starting XI against Villarreal and Athletic Club

After failing to win their last two games against Inter Milan and Real Madrid, Barcelona are under growing pressure to get things sorted at the earliest. But it will not be straightforward for the Blaugrana as they face two very tricky opponents in their next two matches in the form of Villarreal and Athletic Club.

Following the recent outcomes, it has been speculated that manager Xavi Hernandez will make some notable changes to his starting lineup for the upcoming matches.

And, SPORT is now reporting that one of those changes could see the return of club captain and veteran defender Jordi Alba at left-back.

The 33-year-old has been pushed behind Alejandro Balde and Marcos Alonso in the pecking order this season. So much so that there have been speculations that Barcelona want get rid of the left-back as early as the January transfer window.

However, as per the report, Xavi is now planning to recall Alba to the starting lineup for the upcoming two matches against Villarreal and Athletic Club.

The reasoning behind the move, as reported by SPORT, is that the former Valencia man has shown a much better understanding and link-up with Ansu Fati, who is also in line to reclaim his starting berth after an impressive cameo in El Clasico.

Furthermore, Alba also made a decent impression in the thirty minutes he played against Real Madrid this past Sunday.

Alejandro Balde has been the preferred option at left-back, but his lack of experience showed in the Clasico. Meanwhile, Marcos Alonso has not been performing at the level expected by the manager as per the report. These factors are now likely to see Alba get back into the team.

In total, Alba has played just 411 minutes across seven matches this season. He was an unused substitute in high-profile matches against Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. But it seems like Xavi could turn to the veteran for the upcoming couple of matches.

The post Barcelona veteran could be recalled to the starting XI against Villarreal and Athletic Club appeared first on Barca Universal.

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