Of all the players in his squad that Xavi Hernandez would not have wanted to lose to injury, Robert Lewandowski would have been high on that list. Unfortunately for Barcelona’s head coach, his worst fears came true last week, when Lewandowski injured his ankle against Poland.
He will be out of action for the next couple of weeks at least, and during that time, Ferran Torres is expected to play as Barcelona’s central striker. However, Xavi is unconvinced by the 23-year-old suitability is this role, and he has no other natural striker options in his squad.
In an ideal world, Xavi would have loved to have Vitor Roque at the club, but due to financial reasons, he had to stay with Athletico Paranaense for the remainder of the Brazilian league season.
However, Xavi is desperate to have Roque at Barcelona in January, with Diario AS reporting that he recently called the 18-year-old to assure him that he will be heading to Catalonia when the transfer window opens.
At this stage, it will be very difficult for Barcelona to bring Roque to the club in January, as their financial struggles are still a very pressing problem. However, the club’s economic department is prepared to do everything possible to make sure that it is possible.
