The National's Sport cover for the Thursday, October 29 issue, featuring Barcelona and the lingering question of how much strain the Catalan club can take.
Andy Mitten explores that in his Primera Liga focus, as Barca deal with injuries to Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi, among others, and increasing workload and the rest of their stars:
“It is tough at the top, as Barcelona know all too well. If the Catalan club are to have problems, then it is better to have them now rather than in April and May, when the season’s most crucial games take place, when Barca need to be at their best to knock European and Spanish heavyweights out of the race for league and cups.
“Considering all that has gone against them so far this season, Barca have done well to be joint-top of the Primera Liga table with Real Madrid.
“Luis Enrique has seen his Barca squad hit by injuries, they were given a tougher start to the season than any other team and, through their own errors, were unable to play players purchased in 2015 until 2016.
“It is trite to describe a squad so stocked with talent as threadbare, but Barca’s fit players have almost all played significantly more than a year ago.
“Last season, Madrid reached December and won the World Club Cup looking every bit like the best side in the world. It was only in the New Year that their exertions begin to catch up with them and they started to slip. Barca will be hoping that the same does not happen to them.”
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