Three Barcelona players received ZERO minutes in pre-season tour of United States
Three Barcelona players did not play a single minute in the club's pre-season tour of the United States.
After reclaiming La Liga, the Blaugrana headed out across the pond for a slew of friendlies against high-level opposition.
They kicked off proceedings with an entertaining 5-3 defeat against Arsenal, with manager Xavi saying the Gunners' intensity was "not normal" in the fixture.
The Catalan side then beat Real Madrid 3-0 in a pulsating El Clasico at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, before wrapping up the US tour with a 1-0 victory over AC Milan at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium.
Advert
Plenty of players got valuable minutes under their belts but for a trio of players, it was not the case.
Gavi, Clement Lenglet and Inigo Martinez did not feature at all, with SPORT explaining the situation for each individual.
Gavi, the 2022 Golden Boy and Kopa Trophy award winner, has become a key player at Barca but has been suffering with a back problem ever since the team travelled to the US.
He missed the Arsenal and Real games completely but was well enough to be a substitute against Milan, though Xavi elected against using him.
The 18-year-old is still expected to be fit for the first game of the new season.
Clement Lenglet spent last season on loan at Spurs but returned to Barca for pre-season. However, he too has not taken to the pitch as a result of an adductor injury and the fact the club want to sell him.
The final player with zero minutes is new signing Inigo Martinez, who joined on a free transfer after his Athletic Bilbao deal expired.
Barca fans will have been excited to see him in their colours but he has plantar fasciitis and is dealing with pain on the bottom of his foot, around his heel and arch.
The real shining light of the tour has been 20-year-old Fermin Lopez, who scored a beauty and laid on a glorious assist against Real.
He looks to have been promoted to the first-team squad as a result.
Barca take on Spurs in their annual Joan Gamper Trophy on Tuesday 8 August, before they kick off their La Liga campaign against Getafe on 13 August.
Topics: Gavi, Xavi, FC Barcelona
Josh Lawless