Ernesto Valverde Says Antoine Griezmann Will Play 'If He Meets His Requirements'

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has said Antoine Griezmann will play in his team "if he meets his requirements" after the forward was dropped for Tuesday's 5-1 win over Real Valladolid.

Griezmann, 28, came on as a substitute for the first time since joining Barcelona and replaced 17-year-old Ansu Fati, who started in his place on the left wing.

Valverde spoke to reporters Friday and said: "He is a player who has been playing regularly. The other day I made some changes. I don't like to talk about indisputable starters. He will play if he meets his requirements."

The midweek league game was Fati's third Barcelona start, while it was only Griezmann's second match this season outside the starting XI.

It would seem a harsh decision to punish Griezmann considering he scored one goal and assisted another in the 3-0 win away at Eibar in the previous league outing:

Frenkie de Jong and Nelson Semedo are the only players to have appeared in all 13 of Barcelona's matches this season, while Lionel Messi has been available as much as is sensible following injury.

Valverde appears to be getting acquainted with his reliable regulars, though many may not see Griezmann featuring among that number following his €120 million transfer from Atletico Madrid this past summer.

The attacker made a controversial arrival at the Camp Nou in regards to his transfer cost. Sportswriter Euan McTear said he felt Griezmann's off-field image impacted public perception of the player:

Having proved his worth as an essential member of teams at Atletico and Real Sociedad, Griezmann is now getting to grips with a possibly less vital role in Catalonia.

Podcaster Jeremy Smith remarked upon the chance of Griezmann heading to Paris Saint-Germain as part of a swap for Neymar, suggesting the France star is the superior talent:

Barcelona go in search of an eighth consecutive win when they travel to Levante in La Liga on Saturday. Griezmann will hope to silence his doubters with a return to the XI.