A short squad is overloaded

Quique Setién, who a few days ago criticized the superficiality of journalists for not knowing how to value the game beyond the results, limited himself to talking about the physical appearance to explain the bad second half of Barça in Valladolid, where the Catalans ended up asking the hour and thanking two saving saves from Ter Stegen for keeping a meager 0-1. “I haven’t seen any players fresh, it’s only been 72 hours since the last game and they have been very tired. When you’re tired you lose more balls, it’s hard to make the right decisions. We didn’t go out in football, it was more physical “, stressed the Cantabrian coach, who again showed some difficulties in making the right decisions with the game underway. First of all, if what was missing were the legs, it’s surprising that I only made four changes when I could make five. Braithwaite, for example, didn’t even warm up.

Leaving aside this contradiction, and with participation data in hand, Setión has reason to talk about fatigue in this final stretch of the League. It is true that sports planning has not helped him at all -Carles Pérez, Todibo and Aleñá left for the winter market- and that he has a short staff, but it is also true that he has not managed his efforts as much. as recommended, on paper, the tight resumption schedule. In the nine games played after the confinement, Barça have used a total of 20 players, 10 of whom have played more than 500 minutes. Ter Stegen and Messi have not lost a second of competition (810 minutes each), while Piqué and Jordi Alba have 786 and 711 minutes respectively, which shows that neither has a spare guarantee: Setión does not trust the young Araujo (132 minutes) or Junior (121). In fact, among the 10 men who have played less than 500 minutes in the second half, only Sergi Roberto, Riqui Puig and Griezmann have made a significant contribution.

This reality contrasts with that of Real Madrid, Barça’s main rival in the fight for the title. Zidane’s team can afford to have four players in a marginal situation – between Bale, James, Mariano and Jovic they have not added 200 minutes since matchday 28 – but at the same time they are oxygenated with rotations on all lines. Only Courtois, Casemiro and Benzema are exempt, as they will exceed 700 minutes tonight against Granada. The rest of the cake is very chopped. In defense, Mendy and Marcelo alternate on the left side and Militão releases Varane and Ramos. Modric, Valverde and Kroos take over in two midfield positions. And at the front, Lucas Vázquez has joined in recent matches the shared responsibility held by Vinícius, Rodrygo, Asensio and Hazard. Only Isco and Nacho are left out due to injuries.

Griezmann, doubt for Naples

Griezmann fell injured on Saturday in Valladolid as he chained the third consecutive title after three substitutions almost in a row, and only lasted 45 minutes on the pitch. The Frenchman noticed the first discomfort in a play in which he escaped on the left side and was not fast enough to assist Messi, who came down the center lane just to finish. Shortly afterwards, his right thigh was palpated again in an action in which he could not engage a low cross from Semedo. Griezmann held on until the break, when Setién replaced him with Suárez. In the locker rooms of the Nuevo Zorrilla, the doctors gave him a less optimistic first examination, according to the player’s environment, than the results of the tests he underwent yesterday in Sant Joan Despí. The official medical statement speaks of an injury to the quadriceps without a set time off, but the French striker is completely ruled out for the games against Osasuna and Alava and will work to be able to arrive in time for the resumption of the Champions League .

Griezmann is not a footballer prone to muscle problems. Physical reliability is one of its strengths. In fact, reviewing his history, one has to go back to the years he played in the Royal Society to find a similar precedent. Nine seasons ago, and precisely in a match against Valladolid at Zorrilla, Mâcon suffered an injury to the same quadriceps that kept him away from the pitch for three weeks. If he now performs as well as when he was 21, his presence against Napoli is virtually assured.