With Samuel Umtiti’s recent injury, Javier Mascherano will be expected to start for the next few games. It’s imperative that we see Mascherano at his best and if so, Barcelona will get their desired result.
If you had to put money on it, you would bet that Samuel Umtiti would start tomorrow against Atlético Madrid nearly everyone would. The Frenchmen has been in fine form lately and has shown no signs of slowing down.
Javier Mascherano, on the other hand, is a different case. His last two performances haven’t been up to par. A dreadful output vs Alavés was followed by a solid but unimpressive match vs Leganés. However, he was partnered with an aberrant partner in Jérémy Mathieu first, then stuck in a back three where he essentially acted as a right back, in the second.
More from Everything Barca
Despite the subpar performances, we shouldn’t be too upset with Mascherano because he wasn’t playing in natural circumstances. However, there isn’t much room for mistakes when it comes to defending for Barça. With the recent injury news and the opponents coming up, Mascherano needs to play at his best.
Umtiti has picked up a knee injury. According to Barcelona, there is no timetable for his return; however some reports have said he’ll be out for about two weeks (according to Sport). He will miss the games vs Atlético, Sporting Gijon, Borussia Monchengladbach, and Celta Vigo.
Having Umtiti would have been a huge bonus for Barcelona. His speed and strength would have been a great counter to Kévin Gameiro and Antoine Griezmann.
Atlético is one of the best teams in Europe. Their ability to defend, counter, and frustrate their opponents makes them incredibly formidable and dangerous. You always want to have your best players available for a match like this.
Want your voice heard? Join the Everything Barca team!
Samuel Umtiti during the match between FC Barcelona and Sevilla CF, corresponding to the second match of the spanish Supercup, played at the Camp Nou Stadium, on August 17, 2016. (Photo by Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
This certainly isn’t the end of the world, however. Mascherano is still an elite defender and has proven that he steps up his game in the biggest moments. It’s just, Umtiti was playing really well, and Mascherano, well, hasn’t.
Can we trust Mascherano to urgently step up his game? History says yes, but there’s still that part of you that has doubts. It’s going to be extremely tough to score on the Atlético defense on its own. If there’s a defensive mishap and Barça goes down early, it’ll only make the task that much more strenuous.
It’s imperative that Mascherano forget his past two games and focus on the task at hand. If he isn’t able to do so, it could drastically affect the outcome of the match. With a big match feel to it, Barcelona and especially Mascherano have to be at his best so that the Blaugrana can get their desired result.
This article originally appeared on 
