The match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club saw the Blaugrane side lose two of its finest players, Frenkie Jong and Pedri, to injuries.

As a consequence, Xavi’s Barcelona is now left with Fermin Lopez and Sergi Roberto to mount the midfield.

With just eleven matches remaining to end the league campaign and Barcelona sitting third on the table with eight points below the league leader, it'll be needless to say that Xavi's main priority has now been shifted towards the UEFA Champions League. 

The clash against Napoli will be pivotal to the blaugranas' season. But the big question is: how will Xavi line up against the Naples side, who have shown themselves to have rediscovered their form? Well, that'll leave to be seen.

For now, the next game against RCD Mallorca in the league is the focus. Barça must first ensure the test of the Islanders, as they still fight for second place as a realistic objective.

Will there be rotations?

All the available first team players took part in the workout recovery on Monday, as well as Kochen, Cubarsí, Marc Guiu, H. Fort, M. Casadó, and Pau Prim from Barça Atlètic. 

This signals that there are going to be rotations to ensure that key players can rest before the European clash. 

The Mallorca match will be an avenue for other players to further prove themselves and maybe seize a spot on the bigger stage. One of those names is Fermin Lopez.

Fermin Lopez is an official first-team member. The Andalusian has been working with the first team since the preseason, but he hasn't had enough time to show all that he's got in his arsenal.

So, now is the opportunity to do so. Plus Xavi’s decision to deploy him as a replacement for the injured Frenkie against Athletic Club shows he's got enough trust in the 20-year-old.

Remember, the coach had the option of using Sergi Roberto as well, but ultimately he chose Fermin to come into a crucial point of the game.

Now, against RCD Mallorca, Lopez will have to be re-tested. Fortunately for him, the job is coming against the club where he scored his first ever goal earlier this season.

Barça were trailing 2-1 when., in the 74th minute, Raphinha slipped the ball into the danger zone. Lewandowski could have struck it, but let the opportunity pass, having spotted that his young teammate was even better positioned. And he was right. Fermin converted the equalizer to salvage a point in Palma.

A month later, he had his best match so far, scoring again and assisting Ferran Torres in the UEFA Champions League match against the Ukrainian side, Shakhtar Donetsk. 

The youngster scored his third official goal in the cup against Barbastro and was on target again in the 4-0 dismantling of Getafe. 

As you can see, Fermin Lopez has enjoyed some good minutes under Xavi playing as a substitute, so he's very much part of Xavi Hernández's scheme in midfield, but starting in that position and fitting into the game plan, will be left to see this Friday at home to Mallorca.

How Will Xavi Line Up Against Mallorca?

Xavi Hernandez will likely return to a standard 4-3-3 against the Islanders, given the lack of sufficient midfielders, and will most probably start with three forwards up front. 

As for the midfielders, Ilkay Gundogan seems to be the only guarantee at the moment. Who will start alongside Ilkay between Fermin Lopez and Sergi Roberto is yet unknown.

But what you should know is that both midfielders (Fermin and Sergi) will definitely feature against Mallorca. 

This way, Xavi can watch them and hopefully make a more informed eleven against Napoli in the all-important game at the Montjuic Stadium.