Joao Cancelo ready for a rest and plenty of players ready for the spot

Joao Cancelo is on the verge of his first break as a Barça player. The full-back has barely had a rest since his first start and, with a view to Friday's clash against Sevilla, logic suggests that he will start on the bench in order to arrive fresh at Porto next week. Xavi's alternatives are diverse, some of them less natural but perhaps more useful to balance the players' load of minutes.

Xavi already said that no one would be spared from rotations and he proved it in Mallorca with Lewandowski. Cancelo, who has played four almost complete games -he only missed 15 minutes- in the last 11 days, aims to be a permanent starter in Wednesday's match at Do Dragao, so he has serious chances of starting on the bench against Sevilla. These are the options to fill the vacancy:

Sergi Roberto

The captain offers fresh legs, as he has accumulated two consecutive games without minutes. His would be a logical choice, although the problem is that he may be 'needed' more in midfield. Joao Félix could be rotated against Sevilla and the hypothetical return to a four midfielders formation would force Xavi to use Roberto or Fermín in the wide area.

Alejandro Balde

It is not a very natural option, but it would not be the first time for Balde on the right. This option would allow Cancelo to be rested and Marcos Alonso to play on the left flank. The Madrilenian did not play in Mallorca, so he is with his batteries recharged.

Jules Kounde

The Frenchman has left the right wing but could return to the '2' position as an emergency. Taking into account that Araujo returns from injury and played 90 minutes in Mallorca, everything suggests that Ronald will rest against Sevilla in order not to overload himself. If Jules is chosen to play on the right flank, this would mean that Marcos Alonso or Íñigo Martinez would have to play alongside Christensen in the center of the defense. Marcos has already played several times as a central defender, while the Basque defender has not been a starter for a long time and it seems unlikely that he will be back in the starting lineup on Friday after his Mallorca outing.