The boss, speaking at his press conference ahead of the Manchester derby, believes that the Ballon d’Or winner brings something special to his team that is almost unique.
Asked what the special quality is, Pep said: “The composure and quality we don’t have [when he is absent] – something that not many teams have.
“The reason why he is not playing 90 minutes is to protect him.
“Against Chelsea was so demanding and he didn’t feel well to play again immediately.
“We are trying to handle his minutes, but he’s getting better.”
Asked when we can expect our Spanish anchorman to play full games – and whether he could do that against Manchester United – the boss said: “Soon. The problem isn’t he can do 90 minutes, but when he can play 90 minutes [the in the next days we are not sure].
“If he plays 90 minutes tomorrow we will see if he will be able to play in Norway in that important game.
“With time he’ll be back, without setbacks. He has something natural in his body, and it is always there.”
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