Barcelona loanee faces another huge setback in search for full fitness and form

After falling down the pecking order under coach Xavi Hernandez, Barcelona and Ansu Fati decided it was best for the player to hone his skills on loan at Brighton.

Though Fati arrived with enormous expectations, he has struggled to leave a significant mark in the Premier League, with a calf injury in November last year stunting his adaptation period.

Fati finally made his comeback in February of this year but has struggled to nail a starting position in the XI.

And it appears Roberto De Zerbi is not content with the player’s current standing, as he most recently left out Fati from the squad against Brentford.

De Zerbi explains why he left Fati out

De Zerbi came out to provide an explanation as to why he opted to exclude the 21-year-old winger, claiming via SPORT:

“I decided that Fati and Valentín Barco were not in this match. I wanted them to work alone and improve their physical condition.“

With irregular appearances as a starter and merely four goals in the 26 games he has played, De Zerbi is looking to extract Fati’s full potential by not cutting him any slack.

The bar is set high for Fati

Indeed, De Zerbi acknowledges he has higher expectations of the Spanish winger, whom he claims is one of the best talents at his age.

However, Fati is failing to live up to his standards due to poor physicality and mentality, which the Italian emphasizes he must work on to thrive in the Premier League.

“Fati is working very well, but I have different expectations for him. My opinion of him has not changed.

“He is one of the best talents in the world at his age, but he needs to improve his performances, improve his physical condition, and improve his mentality because to play in the Premier League you have to be stronger mentally and physically.

“When he shows us that he is ready, he will be able to play with us,”  De Zerbi exclaimed.

Barcelona seem to have given up on Fati, with reports claiming that his future lies outside the club. They are looking for a loan for him, and could even extend his tenure at Brighton & Hove Albion.

It has also been claimed that Barcelona could offload him permanently should they get a sufficient offer for his services.