5 players Barcelona cannot afford to drop

With eleven matches played, Barcelona comfortably sit at the top of the La Liga table. A club that was recently under heavy scrutiny and written off completely has begun their season in effective fashion, winning 10 and drawing one of their top-flight fixtures to date.

They've taken many by surprise and are already on the verge of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League knockout stages, with two more matches to contest.

After their unsuccessful transfer window was followed up with premature calls of crisis and humiliation at the hands of arch-rivals Real Madrid, criticism was always going to occur.

Claims that the club was not ready to compete on all fronts though, were naive and Barça have already begun proving their critics wrong. Consistently winning, especially when they haven't been performing particularly well, is the mark of champions.

There are a set of players within the squad who have impressed with regular hard work, commitment to the cause and individual brilliance. Without them, the Catalans wouldn't be flying so high at present.

Here's an extended look at the top five players that Ernesto Valverde cannot afford to drop at present this season:

#5: Paulinho

Athletic Club v Barcelona - La Liga — Paulinho has proved his critics wrong this season, making an instant impact on the team's performances.

Barca's decision to sign former Tottenham outcast Paulinho from Guangzhou Evergrande raised many eyebrows this past summer. The Brazilian midfielder joined with an unwelcoming atmosphere surrounding the move, which was heavily criticised considering his well-documented struggles in England's top-flight.

However after just three months with the Catalan club, the 29-year-old has quickly established himself as an influential figure in Spain. Proving critics wrong with impressive and consistent displays, his presence is highly valued and one that helps Barcelona add a new dimension to their play.

#4: Nelson Semedo

Barcelona v Real Betis - La Liga — Barcelona have found Dani Alves' perfect replacement - the fullback has quickly proved himself to be a worthy replacement

Dani Alves left a significant hole down Barcelona's right-side of defence after leaving to join Serie A champions Juventus last summer.

Interestingly, they decided against signing another full-back. Instead, they placed their confidence in both Sergi Roberto and Aleix Vidal. For a number of reasons though, neither of the two were able to consistently match expectations within their backline and Barcelona's defensive weaknesses were exploited.

Roberto, predominantly a defensive-minded midfielder, utilised his versatility to play at right-back but struggled against tougher opposition. Questions have been continually asked about Vidal meanwhile, who at 28, doesn't instil team-mates with much confidence and many feel he's just not good enough quality to warrant a starting place at Barcelona.

Having suffered heavy defeats at the hands of both PSG and Juve, a quarter-final exit from the UEFA Champions League was seen as the exclamation point during a forgettable campaign.

However, they seem to have filled Alves' void well on this occasion. By acquiring Benfica's Nelson Semedo this past summer, the defender has settled quickly and used his attributes well to justify why they were prepared to part with a reported £26m for his services.

Solid defensively, calm in possession, intelligent and deceptively strong, the 24-year-old's ability to link-up play with team-mates and create attacking opportunities too is exciting to watch.

They cannot afford to drop the Portuguese international ,not least while he's in such a rich vein of form.

#3: Jordi Alba

Barcelona defensively have been very effective this term, conceding just four goals in Spain's top-flight and a further one more in the Champions League.

It's something that will give the club cause for encouragement, not least given the level of criticism regarding their defensive woes in recent seasons.

Alba has always been impressive in attack since joining five years ago, but this season, he continues to develop his knack of creating clear-cut opportunities in the final third.

With 15 chances created and four assists in nine league appearances thus far, he's Barcelona's best statistically in terms of creation this campaign. Fast-flowing football helps on the counter-attack and the Spaniard's able to express himself more freely in possession, as shown by his stats.

Despite often being criticised for a lack of consistency defensively, he has made an extra effort to help out more often and with increasing significance this term too. With decent tackles to regain possession and regular interceptions (17 in total), he's clearly trying to improve the defensive side of his game.

His link-up play with Lionel Messi continues to blossom and as one of their more creative players, Alba simply cannot be dropped at present.

Stats' source: Squawka

#2: Andres Iniesta

Just observe the matches that Barcelona have played without Andres Iniesta this season and see how their midfield have suffered accordingly. That's proof of just how important the diminutive genius has been to the Blaugrana this term.

At 33, he's still very much their best creator from midfield and has proven exactly that this season. Questions about him signing a new deal and whether he'd be consistent enough to justify their faith in his ability seem to have gradually faded away with every passing week.

His vision, excellent passing range, dribbling capability and overall creativity levels are unrivalled - even if he continues to age. It just means that he can take up deeper roles in midfield, allowing the likes of Ivan Rakitic and the aforementioned Paulinho to maraud forward upon occasion, without leaving him too much defensive responsibility on his own.

He continues to dictate play with purpose and his link-up play across a range of different attack-minded teammates is often a joy to watch.

According to WhoScored.com, Iniesta has recorded 1.08 key passes, 1.7 interceptions, 0.7 tackles and 2.3 dribbles per game in the Champions League this season. As for his domestic form, he averages 1.2 tackles and similar stats across the board elsewhere - showing a willingness to contribute more across the pitch, not just in his creative role where he usually shines.

It's no surprise that Valverde has publicly showered the Spaniard with praise. At a recent news conference he said:

"He's a very important player and if he is comfortable [and the club are too] with this recognition, well then everybody is happy. He's fundamental for us and brings us a lot.

"He's a unique player, like Messi. Andres is too. For his technical capacity, to know how to take on the game, for having the style of Barcelona, there is something he has that the rest do not."

Although it's important to monitor his form and fitness levels carefully, Iniesta continues to excel during the latter stages of a successful career - one he's not content on finishing at present.

#1. Lionel Messi

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi has been Barcelona's most influential player this season. The creative Argentine is their real force going forward and his contributions in the final third continue to remain remarkably consistent, even in the face of adversity.

With 17 goals in 16 appearances, he sits comfortably at the top of the goalscoring charts in Spain. According to WhoScored.com, he averages 6.3 shots, 6.2 dribbles and 52 passes per match in La Liga with similar numbers in European competition.

He's been their most creative player, having created 34 chances (25 in La Liga, nine across UCL) to date in 14 appearances. Playing in the false nine role, the playmaker regularly drops deep into midfield - exchanging brilliant passes before accelerating forward to create and score goals with ruthless efficiency.

Messi netted four during Barca's 6-1 thrashing against Eibar recently and Valverde didn't shy away from revealing his feelings afterwards.

He said: "He is one of the most intelligent players I've seen on a football pitch. He's extraordinary. We played in a different way, without Luis [Suarez], but Messi is the same wherever you put him.

"From a play where it looks like nothing's going to happen, he can create something good for us... and bad for the opposition. That he scores four goals isn't news anymore. He's done this time and again, on many nights and in many games. He repeats it, loves football, enjoys it and never tires of winning."

With a superstar like that in your ranks, how could Barcelona even contemplate leaving him out, especially on current form?

Edited by Mosope Ominiyi