According to SPORT, the head coach Xavi Hernandez is contemplating dropping Joao Felix, who has been underperforming, from the FC Barcelona squad for the upcoming Spanish Super Cup this week. The Blaugrana team is set to face last season’s Copa del Rey runners-up Osasuna in the semi-finals in the Middle East. A victory would provide Barcelona with an opportunity to defend their trophy in the Riyadh final against either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid.
As highlighted by SPORT on Monday, Joao Felix’s disappointing performance in the Huesca region on Sunday night may lead to his exclusion from the squad. Earlier in the week, MARCA pointed out that both Joao Felix and Robert Lewandowski are no longer considered untouchable under Xavi, following their performance in the 2-1 win over Las Palmas.
In the Las Palmas fixture, Felix started on the bench in favor of Ferran Torres, who scored the equalizer. This decision was made after Felix’s lackluster performance against Almeria in Barcelona’s last competitive match of 2023. While playing in the Copa del Rey debut against Barbastro on Sunday, Felix and Ferran both featured in the starting lineup, with Felix on the left wing and Ferran as the striker, as Lewandowski was given a rest.
However, Felix failed to make a positive impact and showed signs of frustration, including reactions captured on camera after a disallowed goal. AS correspondent Javi Miguel observed that Felix began the match with glimpses of quality but soon became unclear and unmotivated on the pitch. Miguel concluded that Felix’s inconsistent performance makes it difficult to seriously consider signing him in the upcoming summer transfer window.