5 players Barcelona needs to rest sufficiently to achieve the treble this season

As things stand, Barcelona is on track for their third treble in the last 10 years and become the only club in history to accomplish this Herculean achievement.

The side from Catalunya is currently sitting at the top of La Liga with a seven-point lead. Next week, they will play Lyon in the all-important return leg of Champions League round of 16. They are also in the final of the Copa del Rey. After having a really long season, Ernesto Valverde, the Barcelona manager needs to keep his troops fresh for the latter stages of the season to manage playing in all three competitions.

Here is the list of five most important players for Barcelona who need to be taken care till the end of the season.

#5 Gerard Piqué

Since the retirement of Carles Puyol, Barcelona has missed a leader who can fill the void of leadership quality in defense. Though Gerard Piqué struggled in the last two or three seasons but this time he has been colossal in terms of leading the defensive line of the team. He has been vocal whenever needed to organize the defensive structure. His partnership with Clément Lenglet has been crucial for Barcelona’s recent success in the El Clásicos.

The 31-year-old Catalan defender played as many as 3270 minutes for club and country since the start of the World Cup. He averages 4.3 clearances per 90 minutes along with a tackle success rate of 1.2 in every match of the La Liga this season. He has looked rock solid every time he was called in action. After seeing his recent performance former Barcelona technical director, Roberto Fernández lauded him the tag of “The best defender of all time”

With age catching up him, Barcelona needs to rotate Piqué in less important games for the rest of the season in order to keep him fresh and injury-free. Barcelona’s success will depend very much on Piqué's performance at the back and they will need him at the top of his prowess in latter stages of Champions League.

#4 Arthur Melo

Since arriving this summer, the Brazilian midfielder has been no less than spectacular in almost every game he played. Arthur Melo has been the missing link that Barcelona was trying to find out after the departure of Xavi a few years back. He has freed up the workload of Rakitić, ensured Messi can concentrate on the final third and more importantly Busquets has found a new partner to dominate the midfield with.

In 28 appearances for Barcelona this season he has a successful passing percentage of almost 94% in every game, which shows how much confidence and technical ability he brings to the middle of the park

In truth, Barcelona does not have a player with his characteristics in midfield as it was visible recently when was injured. Valverde should take care of his playing time and ensure Arthur does not burn out during this time of the season.

#3 Jordi Alba

Jordi Alba does not need any introduction and how crucial he is for Barcelona is a known face. The telepathic understanding that he has with Messi is as lethal as anyone has in world football. His contribution in the attacking third has always been well praised but one part people often neglect is the way he breaks the opposition counter-attacks. He has got pace along with tremendous anticipation power.

He has assisted 10 goals in 37 appearances for Barcelona this season across all competitions and averages almost two interceptions per match. The Spanish left-back also has an average of 2 key passes in every 90 minutes, which shows how crucial he is in attack for Barcelona.

In short, Barcelona cannot afford to lose a player like Jordi Alba because simply they don’t have a player of his quality in reserves. Hence, Valverde needs to careful in using him.

#2 Sergio Busquets

Sergio Busquets is the heart of Barcelona. He has made the pivot position his own over the last decade and one can make a case that the position should be renamed after him. The composure he has in tight spaces is incomparable to anyone in the game. His ice-cool nature, an extremely intelligent footballing brain, and the ability to dictate the tempo of a game make him the star he is.

Busquets is not a player who can be judged with stats. He has been fundamental throughout the season for the Catalan side. Every attack that Barcelona creates or every counter-attack that Barcelona is able to stop is because of him. Forget about Barcelona, he is irrepressible in world football and they need to manage his playing time to keep him as fresh as possible for the important European nights.

#1 Lionel Messi

Last but not least is the golden boy of Barcelona, Lionel Messi. Without Messi, Barcelona can not even dream about winning all three competitions. He makes Barcelona invincible and gives them the cutting edge over their competition. His ability to change a game in any second can be compared to none and if Barcelona wants to win the treble, he must fire in the upcoming matches as he has done throughout the season.

This season, the Argentine magician has already scored 33 goals and provided 12 assists to his compatriots. He is currently the top scorer in La Liga with 25 goals. In the Champions League, he has managed to score six goals in just four matches and looks hungrier than ever.

Though, it is not easy to keep Messi out of the game in the name of rest as the player himself does not like it. However, Valverde has to be careful to manage his playing time to ensure should, Messi is not exhausted during the business part of the season.

Edited by Aayush Kataria