"I'm being unfair with him" - Xavi admits Barcelona star deserves to play more

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has admitted that defender Eric Garcia deserves more playing time.

The Spanish center-back has made 18 appearances across competitions this season and has also contributed one goal and two assists. However, he has fallen down the pecking order in Xavi's squad, especially in La Liga.

Garcia has made just 11 appearances in the league this season and last played in a 1-0 win over Girona on January 27.

Speaking ahead of their home clash against Cadiz on Sunday (February 19), Xavi said:

"Eric Garcia? I'm being unfair with him. He always trains well. He never complains and is always positive. Eric deserves more minutes."

Garcia came through Barcelona's youth ranks before joining Manchester City's under-18 side in 2017. He rejoined the Spanish giants in the summer of 2021 and has made 54 senior appearances for the club.

Xavi has preferred to use Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen as his two center-backs in recent games. With the Blaugrana competing in three different competitions, Garcia will hope to make his way back into the team.

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Xavi on Barcelona's upcoming clash against Cadiz

Barcelona will host Cadiz on Sunday in a bid to restore their eight-point lead at the top of the La Liga table over eternal rivals Real Madrid.

The Catalan giants come into the game on the back of a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League playoff clash against Manchester United. Analyzing what to expect from Cadiz, Xavi said (via Marca):

"We're expecting a very defensive opponent with a direct game, and a team who like to cross from the wide areas. They'll play a medium-low block, and I expect us to have a lot of the ball."

He added:

"We will have to attack spaces, Cadiz defend very well and we lost to them last year. They haven't been easy opponents for us, and there are very important points on the line."

Xavi also shared his thoughts on recent criticism of Robert Lewandowski from some fans and pundits. He said:

"He looks good to me, he's playing well. He was at an extraordinary level, and now he's slightly below that, but he's not playing badly. Maybe we need to look to use him more. He's a top player who makes a difference and he is always a danger. He links things up well, he provides assists, so maybe we have to play with him more."

Lewandowski has scored 23 goals in 28 games across competitions since joining Barcelona from Bayern Munich last summer. However, he is without a goal in the previous three games.