Oriol Romeu could be even an opportunity to start against Real Mallorca.
Barcelona faces Mallorca tomorrow with the obligation to grab all three points because the league isn’t over yet, but also keeping an eye on the crucial match next Tuesday against Napoli in the Champions League. They do so with a severely weakened midfield due to the recent injuries of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, who join Gavi on the sidelines until the end of the season. According to Ferran Correas of SPORT, these circumstances, coupled with the possibility that Andreas Christensen, the starting midfielder in the last six games, might need a break to be at his best against Napoli, mean Oriol Romeu could start against Mallorca.
The Ulldecona native, who started the season as a midfield mainstay, has only been in the starting lineup for one of the last thirteen league games. He hasn’t started since January 27, when he was in the lineup against Villarreal but was replaced by Pedri at halftime with Barcelona trailing. Romeu has been hampered in recent weeks by knee issues that have prevented him from being at his best. While he’s not completely recovered, the discomfort has lessened, which allows Xavi to give more minutes to the former Girona player.
The player himself explained this week that he’s feeling better. “Fortunately, the sensations are getting better and I’m optimistic that the end of the season will be good. I want to enjoy the last 2-3 months, compete, and live beautiful experiences,” he said at the MIC presentation, acknowledging that after a good start to the season, his performance had dropped, but it wasn’t due to a mental issue. Against Mallorca and also thinking about the crucial match against Napoli, Xavi has a good opportunity for Oriol Romeu to enjoy himself again.
With his physicality, he can also help the center-backs keep Muriqi, a very strong player in aerial play and the focal point of Javier Aguirre’s offensive strategy, in check.
