Vitor Roque, Héctor Fort & more: Xavi to make wholesale changes for Barcelona vs Cádiz | OneFootball

An insight into the plans of Barcelona head coach Xavi to shake up his starting XI for the club’s next outing has today been provided.

The info comes courtesy of Mundo Deportivo, and points towards the Barcelona coaching staff preparing a whole host of changes to their first-choice line-up.

Sandwiched between the club’s two Champions League quarter-final meetings with Paris Saint-Germain, Barca, this weekend, will turn their attentions back towards matters on the domestic front.

As much comes by way of a trip to Andalusia, to face relegation-battling Cádiz.

Xavi, for his part, will already be without the services of three key members of his squad – Robert Lewandowski, João Cancelo and Iñigo Martínez – at the Nuevo Mirandilla.

This comes with the trio all facing a one-game suspension.

The changes in Barcelona’s line-up on Saturday, though, will not end there.

As per the aforementioned MD, the intention is also to afford a whole host of further Blaugrana stars a much-needed rest, ahead of Tuesday’s showdown with PSG.

In turn, the door will be opened for some of the less seldom seen members of Xavi’s squad to put their talents on show.

At the back, tipped to come in are full-back pair Héctor Fort and Marcos Alonso, with Andreas Christensen also likely to drop back into a central defensive role, ahead of sitting out next week’s European action owing to a ban.

Moving into midfield, Sergi Roberto, also suspended for PSG, looks a nailed-on starter on Saturday, with Frenkie de Jong likely to be in from the off, too, in an effort to recover match sharpness. Caution regarding the situation of Pedri, meanwhile, means that Fermín López is the favourite to round out the Blaugrana’s engine rom.

And lastly, up top, a fresh chance to impress finally looks set to be afforded to January arrival Vitor Roque, alongside João Félix, and Ferran Torres.

Conor Laird | GSFN