Barcelona veteran duo could receive a chance vs Elche – report

Following the 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League, FC Barcelona are set to resume their La Liga campaign on Saturday when they take on Elche CF at home.

The Catalans are currently second in the league table, just two points behind leaders Real Madrid, who have registered five back-to-back wins to start the 2022/23 campaign.

However, Barça will be looking to mount pressure on the defending champions by continuing their winning momentum in the league this weekend.

Xavi, though, has some tough decisions to make ahead of this Elche tie, especially after the midweek clash against Bayern Munich.

The Barcelona coach is, in fact, facing pressure to make some changes to the squad that faced the Bavarians. As part of his changes, we may even see the veterans such as Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba return to the fore, according to Diario SPORT.

The report suggests Xavi could find this Elche game an ideal opportunity to start the two defenders and help them gain some momentum, especially after a tough start to the campaign.

Alba has struggled with form and appears to have fallen behind Alejandro Balde and Marcos Alonso in the pecking order.

Gerard Pique, meanwhile, has suffered from injuries for the majority of the year. He has struggled to get back to full fitness and with Barça signing Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen in the summer, his stature in the squad has decreased significantly.

Nevertheless, the two could start against Elche, who have not had the best of starts to the season, having lost four of the five matches so far.

Hence, it could serve as an ideal opportunity for both Alba and Pique to get back on track and become reliable starting options for Xavi for the season ahead.