da bet7： This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
da dobrowin： La Liga is finally back this weekend and Barcelona will be travelling away to Eibar in search of another triumph. But apart from the competition itself returning after the international break, some other familiar faces might also appear this Saturday.
On the chalkboard
It has been five long months since we’ve last seen Samuel Umtiti don the Blaugrana shirt.
The 25-year-old Frenchman has been extremely unlucky with injuries these past two seasons but according to Mundo Deportivo’s report, the centre-back may be fully fit to participate in the clash against Eibar.
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This is huge news for Barca since Umtiti has had to miss nine games in the 2019/20 season already as well as 28 games in 2018/19.
But even though his return is exciting for both the club and the fans who still seem to believe the Frenchman can come back into the starting XI in the future, Jean-Clair Todibo should not be snubbed in favour of the recovering star.
Far too risky
Barcelona’s 19-year-old talent has finally been handed a taste of some first-team action.
So far, Todibo has tallied 77 minutes of play in the ongoing season and can now boast four games under his belt with the Catalan giants.
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But as we know, young players such as Todibo need enough chances in order to fully blossom into the players we know they can be in the future. And his last display vs Sevilla proved to Ernesto Valverde that he can definitely be relied upon.
And now, it’s time the coach repays the favour and gives young Todibo another start in La Liga.
Besides, even if Umtiti gets his official medical clearance, would it really be a good idea to throw him into the fire straight away?
Especially considering that he’s been extremely injury prone as of late, Barcelona should definitely be taking this slow and steady.
Todibo on the other hand, could prosper greatly from another inclusion in the gala XI.
Let’s hope Valverde does the right thing.