Barcelona have played 14 games this season in total and yet new signing Franck Kessie has played just three of them in terms of full matches.
The Ivorian international arrived on a free as a crucial part of Milan’s Scudetto win last season, but has not made his mark at Camp Nou so far. Although he was not expected to be a starter, he stands out as the option that has been least utilised by Xavi Hernandez, in spite of an injury crisis at one point.
So far he has had just 272 minutes in Blaugrana so far. Only Hector Bellerin (141), Memphis Depay (131) and Pablo Torre (8) have had less time on the pitch. The former two have missed several weeks through injury and Torre is making the jump from the third tier of Spanish football. Across the last five matches, Kessie has played just 35 minutes, even though he has appeared in 10 of those 14 matches.
As per Sport, all of the noises coming out of the Ciutat Esportiva are positive. Kessie is working hard in order to impress and has not dropped his head as a result.
Given the crucial period that Xavi Hernandez finds himself in, it is no surprise that he has been going to his most trusted lieutenants in recent weeks. However it may well mean that Kessie does not see much more game time until after the World Cup.
