The Spaniard was left bemoaning the Blaugrana’s short-sighted strategy behind the scenes in the aftermath of another sub-par operation.
Barcelona’s squad planning has been called into question by Sergio Busquets, who voiced his concerns over the lack of choices for head coach Quique Setien following a 1-1 draw against Napoli.
Barca escaped Stadio San Paolo with a positive result on Tuesday night despite being second best for large parts of the game.
The Spanish champions failed to muster one shot on goal in the first half, with Napoli taking the lead on the half-hour mark by means of a super Dries Mertens strike.
The home side had chances to extend their lead before Antoine Griezmann hauled Barca level in the 57th minute after turning home Nelson Semedo’s low cross.
Arturo Vidal was sent off late and will miss the return leg at Camp Nou on March 18, as will Busquets, who’s also been hit with a suspension after picking up a yellow card in the second half.
Gerard Pique is currently facing a spell on the sidelines too after limping off the pitch with an ankle problem in stoppage time.
Together with Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele place to miss the rest of the season through injury, Setien was forced to dip into the academy for additional reinforcements, with four B team players named on the bench in Naples.
Barca’s squad will be stretched to the limit in the reverse osmosis and Busquets has seemed to criticise the club for failing to take pre-emptive measures to be able to avoid such a situation.
“Semedo and I had been one booking away from a ban so we were constantly running that risk [of suspension],” he explained post-match, as mentioned by ESPN.
“We expect Pique’s harm is nothing serious, but we’ll take on the next leg with what we have. We do not have a deep group because, sadly, that is how it had been planned.”
Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic echoed his team-mate’s sentiments, saying: “We’ve got a brief squad but those which are in charge knew that.
“The remedy is exactly what it is. The ones who are available will have to work really hard because we have a significant match in the second leg.”
Setien will now begin preparing his players for a huge Clasico showdown against Real Madrid in Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
Barca moved two points clear of the arch-rivals from the Liga standings after beating Eibar 5-0 in Camp Nou last weekend, using the Blancos having slumped to a 1-0 defeat against Levante.
