"I'm tired", "Should be rested" - Barcelona fans question inclusion of star player in line-up to face Real Betis

Many Barcelona fans have taken to Twitter to express their frustration with Xavi's decision to start Gavi in the Blaugrana's La Liga clash against Real Betis on Saturday (April 29).

Barcelona are atop La Liga with 76 points from 31 games, sitting eight points above Real Madrid. However, the last few weeks have been far from ideal for the Catalonia-based club, having won only one of their last four games.

Xavi and Co. will be determined to return to winning ways when they face Real Betis at the Camp Nou. With less than an hour to go until kick-off, the Blaugrana have announced their starting lineup for the game.

Xavi has notably made two changes to the team that lost 2-1 against Rayo Vallecano in midweek. Sergio Busquets and Andreas Christensen have been named in the first XI, with Marcos Alonso and Ferran Torres dropping to the bench.

Teenage midfielder Gavi, meanwhile, has been handed his eighth consecutive La Liga start. Xavi's decision not to rest the Spain international has not gone down well among Barcelona fans, with one tweeting:

"FFS! Gavi should be rested!"

Another tweeted:

"Get tf out of Gavi. I'm tired"

Here are some more reactions to Xavi's decision to start Gavi against Real Betis:

Xavi, though, is confident that his preferred starting lineup will get the job done against Real Betis. He can call upon the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Ansu Fati and Franck Kessie if needed.

Real Betis, meanwhile, go into the game off a two-game winless run, having lost to Osasuna and drawn against Real Sociedad. Manuel Pellegrini and Co., though, remain hopeful of securing a top-four finish. They can reduce the gap with fourth-placed Sociedad to six points with a win at the Camp Nou.

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How has Gavi fared for Barcelona?

It is worth noting that Gavi was on Real Betis' books for two seasons before joining Barcelona in 2015. He rose through the ranks in the Blaugrana youth ranks before making his senior debut in the club's 2-1 La Liga win against Getafe in August 2021.

The midfielder has since established himself as a key player for the Camp Nou outfit, making 90 appearances across competitions. He has bagged four goals and 12 assists for the team thus far.

Gavi has undoubtedly been important to Barcelona's title push this season, featuring in all but one of their league games. However, there are fears that not resting the 18-year-old could run him down.