Xavi faces selection dilemma in defence as key Barcelona star closes in on return

Barcelona kickstarted their Champions League campaign in an emphatic fashion, securing a formidable 5-0 victory over Royal Antwerp on Tuesday.

One of the key performers in the game was Andreas Christensen. The Dane formed a solid defensive combination with Ronald Araujo, helping Barcelona keep a clean sheet.

Andreas Christensen’s revival

A recent report from SPORT has highlighted the potential selection dilemma Xavi might encounter following Christensen’s recent performances.

After suffering from some fitness issues during the start of the season, the Dane has not enjoyed the best of starts to the campaign and was replaced in all of the five league matches.

It was unfortunate for Christensen, who was one of the star performers for Barcelona last season, exceeding all sorts of expectations.

However, since the international break, the former Chelsea ace displayed signs of being back to his best and has been one of the team’s star performers.

Ronald Araujo’s return complicates matters

Christensen’s revival could serve as a major selection dilemma for Xavi, especially with Ronald Araujo also expected to return from injury.

If everything goes well, the Uruguayan should be available for the upcoming game against Celta Vigo.

Once Araujo returns, Xavi must choose between the Uruguayan, Jules Kounde, and Christensen in the two available central defensive slots.

Kounde has returned to his natural centre-back position this season and has been one of the most consistent performers so far for the Catalan giants.

Xavi, therefore, has his task cut out as he looks to manage his resources without antagonizing any of his star defenders.

It must be noted that the Barça coach also has Inigo Martinez at his disposal, so it will be interesting to see how he plans to juggle things around in the future.