Barca suffers the most damage from 'FIFA virus'

Barca have had the most players in FIFA World Cup qualifiers over the past two weeks.

In total, Barca players have to do about 2,200 minutes of international duty. This is the highest number for a club and has a negative impact on physical fitness.

Barca's biggest star, Lionel Messi, had to play the full 90 minutes in both draws with Uruguay and Venezuela. Teammate Luis Suarez also played with great intensity, playing 83 minutes in the confrontation with Argentina and the full 90 minutes in the victory over Paraguay.

Similarly, Samuel Umtiti, the "heart" of Barca's defense, could not avoid being exhausted after playing the full 90 minutes in the two matches against the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Goalkeeper Ter Stegen also played the entire two matches against the Czech Republic and Norway.

Barca's mainstay has had to play a lot of international matches in the past two weeks.

For the Spanish national team, Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets were the two players who played the most, playing the entire two wins against Italy and Liechtenstein. Andres Iniesta played less but only 18 minutes less than his two teammates.

Midfielder Ivan Rakitic only played 55 minutes in the Croatia-Kosovo match before having to leave the field. The 29-year-old midfielder suffered a muscle strain and is unlikely to recover 100% in a short time.

This weekend, Barca host Espanyol in the Catalan derby. Espanyol have not scored at the Nou Camp for eight years and this match is a chance to end their bad streak.

According to VNE