Ansu Fati set to start for Barcelona against Elche

Ansu Fati is widely regarded as one of the best talents to have come through the ranks at Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy in recent years.

Having made his first-team debut back in 2018, the teenager has grown into a vital member of the team. He was even handed the #10 jersey by Barça following Lionel Messi’s departure, showing the level of faith that the club place in his talents and potential.

However, Fati’s progress has slowed down a little over the past couple of seasons due to a couple of long-term injuries. The 19-year-old hardly featured during the 2020/21 campaign and was once again sidelined for the majority of the last season due to recurring injury issues.

So, even though he is back to full fitness this season, Xavi and his staff at Barcelona are taking it slow with Fati and are erring on the side of caution so that the Spaniard does not fall victim to another fresh injury.

It has led to Fati’s game-time being regulated, with the forward starting just one game out of the seven matches that the Blaugrana have played so far this season. The teenager’s only start came in the UCL clash against Viktoria Plzen in which he played for 65 minutes.

As for the rest of his six appearances, he has clocked a combined total of only 129 minutes, indicating how careful Xavi has been with the teenage sensation.

But, according to Mundo Deportivo, Fati is likely to feature from the start when Barcelona face Elche in La Liga on Saturday.

The 19-year-old was utilised for just ten minutes during the midweek clash against Bayern Munich by Xavi while he played under 20 minutes in the previous La Liga encounter versus Cadiz.

So, the La Masia graduate is well-rested and with Xavi making clear that he will rotate his troops regularly this season, he could be in line for a starting berth against Elche on Saturday.

In seven appearances (194 minutes) across all competitions, Fati has managed to score and assist two goals apiece, showing his quality despite his limited playing time.

The Barcelona staff are also full of belief that the youngster will be back at his best soon but they also understand that the process will need to be carried out step by step in order to avoid any relapse of injuries.