Xavi Hernandez will return to the starting lineup on Saturday for FC Barcelona as they take on Sevilla in La Liga.

Hernandez has been sidelined for the last two matches after noticing pain in his Achilles tendon at the end of the Valencia match and was used sparingly against Copenhagen. He has been plagued by this injury for quite a while now having pretty much played none stop for both FC Barcelona and the Spanish National squad for the last three years.

It was decided by Pep Guardiola along with National squad coach Vincent del Bosque that the 30 year old “maestro of the midfield” would be rested when possible to allow for the nagging injury to heal.

The news for FC Barcelona comes at the perfect time as their schedule begins to heat up over the next few weeks before the holiday break with Champions League matches, Villareal and of course the El Clásico at the end of November.

Also returning to the squad this weekend may be Gabi Milito who has been sidelined for the last 10 days with a thigh strain. The Argentine defender practiced with the team on Thursday and did not complain about any pain following the session.