Luis Suarez can be the key to rejuvenating Barcelona’s season

Luis Suarez is on track to make his return from injury when play resumes for Barcelona. He could wind up being just the player who can turn the Blaugrana’s season around.

Prior to the suspension of the European leagues in March, Quique Setien’s Barcelona side was a team free-falling into disarray because of injuries. Several players were sidelined with injuries while other talents looked far from being fully fit to compete at a high level. But this extended break has turned out to be like a rejuvenating period for many of Barca’s players, including Luis Suarez.

The Uruguayan has missed the team’s last 12 games due to a right knee injury that required surgery back in January. He was scheduled to be sidelined for four months, which would have seen him hope to return for the team’s final La Liga league matches and the 2020 Champions League Final had they made it that far. But with the suspension of La Liga set to end in June and the Champions League expected to resume in the summer, Suarez is projected to join the team just in time for its stretch run of the season.

Suarez recently made his long-awaited return to training. He is on the path to be medically cleared for action soon, which would provide him with just enough time to prepare for a likely return as a starter when Barcelona resume play.

Suarez’s return from injury may be just what Barcelona needs after a rollercoaster early run under new manager Setien. In the first 12 games under Setien, Barca showed promise as a side capable of having its way in the final third but did not display any semblance of being an organized and composed unit when in possession. This was exemplified in Barca’s winless contests against Napoli and Athletic Bilbao where the team struggled to create high percentage goal-scoring opportunities even though they dominated possession.

Lionel Messi recently alluded to the team’s underperformances under Setien.

“What I said was playing as we did in those final few games before football was suspended, of course we wouldn’t win the Champions League,” Messi said. “I never doubted the squad we have and I don’t doubt we can win everything that’s left, just not playing as we were playing.”

With Suarez striving to be fully fit for the rest of the season, he could be just the spark needed to revitalize a team in need of offensive production from anyone other than Messi.

The main question surrounding Suarez’s return will center on just how Setien will use him in the team’s attack. In the Uruguayan’s absence, Setien elected to alternate between Messi and Antoine Griezmann as the team’s main center-forward in the 4-3-3 setup.

Both players generated mixed results. Messi’s play involved being a false nine playmaker that drifted out of the center-forward space. Griezmann was more inclined to hovering around the center-forward area but did not replicate Suarez’s production with open play goals and a high volume of shots; the Frenchman has scored a mere one goal in eight league games since Setien’s arrival.

Setien has plenty of options for how to approach this tactical dilemma and he could wind up being creative with his decision. It is most likely that Suarez’s role will ask him to have a sheer focus on remaining in the center-forward space while also expanding his hold up play. He has established more of a presence in the team’s buildup of play over the years thanks to his growing chemistry with Messi and ability to maintain possession amidst heavy pressure from an opponent.

Needless to say, the aging striker is gradually deteriorating in his quality as a revered goal-scorer, such as with his dreadful eight goals in his last 35 Champions League games. Setien not only will require Suarez to occupy defenders in the final third and provide a lively presence in the penalty box, but he desperately needs him to fill the goal-scoring void. For a player who takes a high volume of shots on a per-game basis, Suarez must return to form as an efficient finisher. Barcelona can not afford to continually cap off exquisite buildup sequences with the Uruguayan missing on high xG opportunities.

On the other hand, Setien may elect to provide Suarez with more pressing responsibilities in order to maintain the team’s recent aggressive approach in this area of play. Since his arrival in January, Setien has attempted to place more of an emphasis on high pressing.

It has not garnered substantial results, but they have steadily improved as a unit. In eight league games under Setien, Barcelona has recorded a passes allowed per defensive action in the opposition half (PPDA) rate of 7.94, according to Understat. This rate is higher than in the 19 games this season under former manager Ernesto Valverde (8.20) along with last season’s rate as well (8.43).

Griezmann deserves partial credit for the team’s success here. He has been mobile and active in pressing shifts, such as in Barcelona’s away draw to Napoli where he amounted for 27 pressures. Overall, his 5.17 successful pressures per 90 rate in league play this season is almost double that of Suarez’s 2.61.

Now, if Barcelona wishes to continue its upward trend toward becoming a more formidable pressing unit, Suarez must be involved in each and every pressing shift. He does not need to mirror Griezmann’s production but avoid being a complete liability in this area of play. This requires exceptional awareness and stamina to keep continual pressure on the opponent.

Sure, Suarez is on the back-end of his prime at Barcelona as his time with the club may be nearing an end. Much of the rumored recent attention as of late within the club has shifted over to Lautaro Martinez — a player who seems destined to replace the Uruguayan at some point in the near future. Still, Suarez currently has much to offer and prove as one of the top strikers in the world.

If he can return to quality form, it will go a long way in the team’s push for a Champions League and La Liga double.