24-year-old Barcelona forward likely to be dropped against Osasuna in Spanish Super Cup

Journalist German Bona has mentioned via SPORT that Joao Felix is highly likely to be sacrificed during the Supercopa de Espana clash against Osasuna on Thursday, January 11.

Xavi is facing a tough decision for Barça’s lineup in the Super Cup semi-final against Osasuna. He needs to balance getting Pedri and Joao Cancelo back in action quickly and putting out a strong team. 

At the same time, the challenge for the manager is that if they win, they’ll have to play in the final just 48 hours later.

While there are certain footballers like Frenkie de Jong, Ilkay Gundogan and Robert Lewandowski who have their places secured, the same cannot be said for Felix.

And why is that?

After being dropped to the bench against Las Palmas in the league, Felix failed to make the most of the opportunity against Barbastro and was ultimately taken off by Xavi in the 72nd minute.

During his time on the field, he engaged in a total of nine duels, with seven taking place on the ground and two in the air. Regrettably, he only emerged victorious in two of these encounters. Additionally, he experienced difficulty maintaining possession of the ball, losing it 15 times, and displayed limited proficiency in dribbling.

Moreover, it’s noteworthy that he did not contribute any key passes, and there were no successful executions of long passes by the Portuguese as well.

Who will start against Osasuna?

It must be noted that although the likes of Pedri and Joao Cancelo are both nursing their respective problems. Although both have been added to the travelling squad, Wednesday’s training session will decide who will participate in the match.

Furthermore, Xavi wanted to keep an important defensive player fresh for a possible final match, but he’s facing limitations. Inigo Martínez won’t be available for at least a month due to injury issues. Alejandro Balde is expected to return after missing the previous game due to illness.

In the midfield, Frenkie de Jong and Gundogan are likely starters, making it hard for them to take a break. 

De Jong would play as the defensive midfielder, and Gundogan as one of the central midfielders. The other central midfield spot is likely for Sergi Roberto, who rested in the Copa del Rey but could face competition from Fermin Lopez, who performed well in the previous game in Barbastro.