The Barça passes review to the 'invisible' Umtiti

Umtiti, in training with Barcelona, ​​in an image provided for the Barça club.

On June 27, when Setién's Barcelona began to say goodbye to LaLiga in the draw against Celta de Vigo (2-2), Umtiti took the field in Balaídos.

It was the last time the Frenchman was seen dressed as a Barça player.

In fact, in the dressing room they thought that the Cantabrian coach had risked with the ownership of Umtiti.

The next game, against Atlético, he went to the bench, and then he injured himself again.

No surprise in the Sports City.

Since the 2018 World Cup, the center-back has his left knee between cottons.

When he recovered from that ailment, he caught the coronavirus and then returned to the infirmary for a new knee problem.

He hasn't played a game with Ronald Koeman.

In fact, the Dutchman did not even name him at press conferences.

As if Umtiti were not part of the first team squad.

Until this Tuesday, with Piqué (ligaments) and Araújo (muscular problem), injured;

and Lenglet touched, Koeman explained his plan for Umtiti.

"This Wednesday, Samuel has a game with Barça B and is close to coming back," revealed Koeman.

"From time to time, we do some games when the coach of the first team asks for it," they say at the Barcelona Sports City.

"The last one we did was during the selection break and Aleñá, Riqui, Dembélé played ... all those who accumulated less minutes and Koeman needed them to pick up the rhythm of the game," explain the same sources.

There will be a one-hour game, two 30-minute halves, in which Umtiti will test how he has his knee.

The idea of ​​the Dutch coach is that Araújo also participate.

“Ronald is missing a little bit, if he doesn't return to Cádiz, he will do so on Juventus day or against Levante.

But we love everyone 100%, ”said Koeman.

The case of Messi, Ter Stegen and Coutinho, who do not travel to Budapest for the duel between Barça and Ferencváros, is different.

In the coaching staff they prefer that they not be loaded with minutes.

Only Lenglet

It is not a minor issue that of the centrals for Koeman.

The coach already knew that Umtiti's situation was delicate and in the summer he asked the sports management to bring him a fifth center back.

The Barça coach understood that the Frenchman's physical response was not reliable.

But Eric García did not arrive and the injuries hit Barça.

Araújo fell first.

Then I hammered, who opted for a conservative treatment.

“I spoke to Gerard.

I am not the doctor and I have not influenced your decision not to have surgery.

We think it's the best way for him to recover and I think we can count on him this season, ”explained Koeman.

And against Osasuna Lenglet twisted his right ankle.

The Frenchman, despite everything, has traveled to Budapest.

He is the only center-back that the Dutchman has with a first team card.

The technician, in any case, did not point to bad planning.

“It's bad luck more than anything else.

The economic situation has also had an influence in this regard, but it serves to give young people minutes.

This is how we have always worked in the Netherlands.

You discover good players.

You have to trust the subsidiary, "said the Dutchman.

"Ronald has personality and knows the club well," they celebrate from the Barça sports area.

The coach opted to trust Mingueza against Dinamo and, after receiving the support of the dressing room, the youth squad repeated his title against Osasuna.

In addition, Barça has a wild card for the rear: De Jong.

He has already done it in five games this season (in one, from the start).

“Frenkie has a lot of quality on a technical and physical level.

He is always ready to cover the central position because he also has a reading of the game and he always does it well.

I don't have bad feelings when I play with him ”, emphasizes Lenglet.

In the summer, Koeman also asked for a forward.

In the attack, he found Braithwaite - "he has deserved to play with his work," he said.

in defense the hole is huge.

"This is not the time to talk about signings.

We must first see who will be the president, "he concluded.

The candidate who wins the elections already knows that Koeman needs a central because Umtiti's knee is unknown