The three options Valverde's weighing up to replace Arthur
The Brazilian midfielder has been ruled out for the next month
The absence of the injured Arthur for the next month is a problem for Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde. The Brazilian's become a key part of the side's midfield and the Catalans must now adjust to life without him.
On Sunday they have a tough trip to San Mames to face Athletic Club. Valverde says he has options to replace Arthur but that no one in the squad is quite like him.
"We lose a player that gives us control of the game, but unexpected injuries happen," Valverde said in a press conference on Saturday.
"He also had a problem in December. We have options [to replace him]. There's no one exactly like him, but we have [Carles] Aleña, Arturo Vidal, [Philippe] Coutinho, players from the B team... We will see what we do depending on the game we're playing [while Arthur is out]."
The coach was also asked about Ivan Rakitic's accumulation of minutes this season. The Croatian was taken off in midweek, though, against Real Madrid.
"Sometimes it's not a change because a player is doing badly, but because you want something different based on how the game is going," Valverde said. "Not because he's tired or doing poorly. You just want something else. Ivan's playing a lot but there have been moments when he's rested and there will be more."
