Official: Barcelona youngster returns to B team to play promotion play-offs

With Football Club Barcelona’s roster of central defenders suffering several injuries throughout the season, Ronald Koeman had to look to the subsidiary as a replacement option in November of last year. While many La Masia jewels have been long heard of — such as Ilaix Moriba, Riqui Puig, and Alex Collado — Oscar Mingueza was never touted to be a star of the academy that would come to shape seasons with the first team.

However, the young Spaniard was spotted and called upon last year by Koeman, when Lenglet, Umtiti, Piqué, and Araujo were all out on injury. Since then, the Dutch manager has trusted Mingueza in several different roles in Barça’s backline, and the youngster has excelled in every which way, barring the occasional error. However, with Barça’s La Liga hopes more than likely over, Mingueza has been called upon by Garci Pimienta to play in Barça B’s promotion playoff game against UCAM Murcia. The news was also made official by the club.

The club sees fit that Mingueza’s participation in the subsidiary’s playoff is more vital than his participation in the penultimate league game against Celta de Vigo; essentially, it is realised that La Liga is lost. Therefore, the versatile defender’s participation in the playoff game against Murcia is of higher priority for the club.

Having made 38 appearances across all competitions with the first team, the 21-year-old has been sublime, filling in with near perfection. Mingueza’s aggression, positional intelligence, and passing ability has made him a Swiss army knife for the Blaugranas’ defence.

Filling in at centre-back and right-back in various different formations, the young starlet has displayed great defensive anticipation, passing, and ball-carrying ability. With his 1.84m frame and great physicality, Mingueza combines the traits of a traditionally tall, strong defender with those of the pacier, modern, and technically proficient centre-half. Surprisingly, he recorded a top speed of 34.4 kmph in the El Clasico, famously outrunning Real Madrid starlet Vinicius Jr. in a foot race.

Overtaking Samuel Umtiti and Ronald Araujo in Koeman’s pecking order, the Catalonian has done a fabulous job proving his mettle throughout the season, and he is guaranteed to get a first-team number in the 21/22 campaign.