Christensen and Koundé are two high-level central defenders, Araujo is the head of the defense and Eric Garcia has taken a step forward
All of them are ahead of the Barcelona player, who is not at his best physical level and will have a hard time getting minutes
Gerard Piqué faces his fifteenth season in the Barça first team since in the summer of 2008 he asked Alex Ferguson to open the door of Manchester United for him to return to Barça. Since then, the one from Bonanova has been the undisputed starter. This season, however, it indicates that he will lose that condition.
Piqué has not reached the preseason fully after finishing last year injured. The central veteran played many games dragging a tendinopathy in the long abductor of his left leg. Piqué forced himself to help the team until his muscles said enough was enough. His physical condition has separated him from the first two friendlies against Olot and, already in the United States, Inter Miami. He made his debut against Real Madrid playing the last half hour, repeated those final 30 minutes against Juventus and completed an entire part in the last match on American soil, against New York Red Bulls, coming off the bench. In other words, Piqué has not been a starter in any of the five games that Barça has played this preseason.
But his physical condition is not the only obstacle in Piqué’s way. The factor that is going to dismount the Barcelonan from ownership is the competition in the central position. The club has made a very important economic effort to please Xavi with Jules Koundé, a first-rate center back for his physical power who comes to lead the defense. Andreas Christensen landed alongside the former Sevilla player, who arrived on tiptoe, but who pleasantly surprised both the coaching staff and the fans on the tour of the United States. The ex-Chelsea player has been a starter in the four games played in a partnership with Eric García.
To these two reinforcements we must add Ronald Araujo, who was presumed to be the leader of the defense after his excellent last campaign, and Eric Garcia, who in this preseason has shown that he has taken a step forward.
Total, that at the moment, all of them start ahead of a Piqué has very difficult to enjoy minutes.
