Four alternatives and a 'covered' to relieve to Iniesta in the Barça

To Ernesto Valverde do not go him to be missing options to relieve to Andrés Iniesta, captain manchego of the FC Barcelona, of face to the next commitments of the Barcelona group in LaLiga Santander and the UEFA Champions League. The '8' of the Barça lesionó in the biceps femoral this Sunday against the Athletic of Madrid, and the first assessments speak from among three and four weeks ofdrop .

Of face to the next meetings suspender belts, therefore, foresees that Philippe Coutinho was the player chosen to shine in the left interior of the FC Barcelona, with Leo Messi, Luis Suárez and another attacker, presumably Aleix Vidal or Ousmane Dembélé, accompanying them.

Another option would be to play in 4-4-2 with Coutinho accompanying to Luis Suárez and Messi up and another midfield player, as for example Paulinho, beside Busquets and Rakitic to give more consistency to the centre of the Barcelona field. All the options will be valid to face the following challenges in LaLiga Santander 2017-18, and the main hándicap will arrive in the Champions. Here, without Coutinho, Valverde will have four alternatives and a 'covered':

Paulinho:

It is the one who more options has to be headline in Champions League beside Busquets, Rakitic, and presumably another midfield player that would be André Gomes, as long as Valverde have the will to strengthen the centre of the field to physical level not to give grantings in attack to Chelsea, that does not have to mark in the Camp Nou. This course has participated in 38 official parties (8 goals and 2 assistances), 7 of them in the Champions.

André Gomes:

Together with Paulinho, is the one who more possibilities has to play in Champions, and in fact already has contested 24 official parties this season (1 assistance), 6 of them in the Champions. This yes, in spite of the confidence of Valverde surely is the option that less will like to the fans culé, to the one who the Portuguese does not finish to convince with his performances.

Denis Suárez:

In favour of the Galician plays the fact that, futbolísticamente, is the player more resembled Andrés Iniesta in the staff of the FC Barcelona. This season has contested 18 parties (3 goals, 6 assistances), 2 of them in the Champions (1 assistance), although against his is that it is not having prominence in the last parties and, therefore, is lacking of shooting.

Ousmane Dembélé:

If the FC Barcelona played in 4-3-3, Ousmane Dembélé probably would have fit in the forward beside Leo Messi and Luis Suárez, with Paulinho or André Gomes in the centre of the field beside Busquets and Rakitic. This yes, seems unlikely, at least to day of today, that Valverde bet by Dembélé like titling in a party of similar importance as it will be the one of the Camp Nou in front of Chelsea.

Sergi Roberto:

It is the big 'covered' from among the options of Valverde. Sergi Roberto carries all the season acting of right side, but if Nelson Semedo is fully recovered to play against Chelsea on 14 March (something that is not at all likely), Sergi Roberto could exert functions in the centre of the field, in a position to which is fully adapted and that, in fact, is his natural position.