Lionel Messi or Alexis Sanchez or Both?: Predicting Barcelona's First Choice XI

The 2010/11 season was one to remember for Barcelona.

Success over Real Madrid in La Liga and Manchester United in the Champions League was built around a small yet solid squad of world class players at the top of their game.

Yet, with Real Madrid busy in the transfer market and the prospect of another grueling season of European football, Barcelona will need to stay on their toes.

The signing of Alexis Sanchez from Udinese, as well as the potential arrival of Cesc Fabregas, may bolster the squad, but how will these stars and many others besides fit into Pep Guardiola's plans?

With fringe stars like Ibrahim Afellay and Javier Mascherano eager to become part of coach Pep Guardiola's plans as well as utility men like Adriano and Seydou Keita on hand, Guardiola certainly has options..

However, the question remains of just how the Barcelona boss will fit these players into the side alongside returnees like Carlos Puyol and Eric Abidal and the current crop of Barcelona stars including Andreas Iniesta, Dani Alves, Lionel Messi and of course, Xavi.

Add into that mix emerging youth team stars like midfielder Thiago Alcântara and defender Andreu Fontàs, and Guardiola may be left with a few team selection headaches of the worst possible kind.

With that in mind, here are our predictions of who could be in and who could be out of the Pep Guardiola's first choice Barcelona first team.

Barcelona's Goalkeeper: Victor Valdes or José Manuel Pinto?

Few people in the current Barcelona squad can be assured of their starting position in the team. Yet one man who should be more than confident of retaining their place is Victor Valdes.

Four time winner of the Zamora trophy for having the best goals to games ratio over a single season, statistically speaking, Victor Valdes has been the best goalkeeper in Spain for the last three consecutive seasons.

This record often goes unnoticed, in part down to the continued consistency of Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas, despite Los Blancos in different success.

Yet whilst Victor Valdes has been quietly making headlines in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League his number two, José Manuel Pinto, has been making altogether much louder headlines for his exploits, often without playing a game.

Pinto holds the unenviable record of receiving two bans if Europe for his "unique" antics on the Barcelona substitutes bench.

The first came during a UEFA Champions League group game with FC Copenhagen when Pinto, seeing one of the Danish opposition players closing in on goal, whistled from the bench, thus tricking the player into thinking he had been called offside.

A two game ban followed before Pinto enjoyed two rare starts in the group stage. He was to blot his copybook again though in the ill-tempered semi final first leg encounter with Real Madrid, as Pinto was dismissed from the game, without even featuring, after brawling with Madrid players at half time.

When it comes to the goalkeeper position, Valdes is unlikely to lose any sleep.

Right Back : Dani Alves

When it comes to Barcelona's full backs, like Victor Valdes in goal, one man is likely to feel confident of keeping his starting place next season.

Since signing for almost £30 million from Sevilla back in July 2008, Dani Alves has quite literally hit the ground running with Barcelona, becoming a key component of Pep Guardiola's Catalan machine.

In just over 150 games in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League and Copa Del Rey, Alves has contributed more than 50 assists.

In three seasons, he has managed an average of 33 games a season and, provided he is not effected by any injury, is likely to remain a key component of the team.

Left Back: Eric Abidal vs Maxwell vs Adriano

With Eric Abidal returning from illness, Adriano used sparingly and the prescence of former Ajax and Inter Milan man Maxwell, the left back position could be one of the most competitive positions up for grabs in the Barcelona team.

In the absence of the Frenchman last season, Pep Guardiola tended to favour Maxwell who, whilst previously impressing at Ajax and Inter Milan, seems yet to have fully convinced the current Barcelona coach.

Adriano, meanwhile, tellingly struggled to break into the side, despite his versatility in as a midfielder/full back. This may be down to his similarlity with Dani Alves, with both players known for their frequent forward runs and crossing abilities.

As such, should Alves be missing through injury, Guardiola may opt to move Abidal into a central role and bring in Adriano as the left back marauder in the mold of Alves.

However, ultimately, Guardiola is likely to favour age and experience over excitement.

With Alves as one of the first names on the team sheet, the presence of the more defensive minded Abidal could ensure Guardiola’s team avoid pushing too far forward and will also allow cover for Gerard Pique’s occasionally forward surges.

In the event that Abidal is required to cover the centre back role, Maxwell is likely to step up to the first team.

Centre Back: Gerard Pique

Gerard Pique is likely to start at centre back for Barcelona, following yet another excellent season with the Catalans that had some Spanish newspapers dubbing him "Piquenbauer" in reference to German defensive supremo Franz Beckenbauer.

Strong in the tackle and an increasingly commanding presence in the Barcelona back line, Gerard Pique has also won plaudits for his careful positioning and reading of the game.

Gerard Pique's ability to take the ball out of defence also resonates well with Pep Guardiola's vision of Barcelona as a free flowing, attacking unit.

With six goals to his name already, the 24-year-old can make a telling contribution at either end of the field. The past two seasons have seen Pique play a near constant role in the Barcelona first team, with over 30 appearances a season. Expect more of the same this year.

Centre Back: Puyol vs Abidal vs Mascherano vs Fontas

Whilst Barcelona club captain Carlos Puyol is the most likely to take a starting position for Barcelona, Pep Guardiola may operate more of a rotational policy with the position, particularly if Puyol endures another season of injuries for the Catalans.

Eric Abidal may be the most natural successor to Puyol given the abundance of left backs at the club.

However, Guardiola is likely to have noted the success Javier Mascherano enjoyed in the centre back role at the end of last season. 

The Argentine may seek to pursue a centre back role with the Catalans rather than attempt to break into the dominant Barcelona midfield, though much will depend on Mascherano himself.

The wild card option may be Jose Fontas, though. Impressive for Barcelona’s B team and a key part of the Spanish national side’s Under 21 success, the defender does face an uphill struggle to unseat the likes of Puyol and Abidal.

However, if the examples of Sergio Busquets and Pedrito have taught us anything, it’s that Pep Guardiola is not afraid of taking raw talent from the Barcelona academy and throwing it into La Liga action.

Defensive Midfield: Sergio Busquets vs Javier Mascherano vs Thiago Alcântara

Sergio Busquets is arguably one of the more unsung heroes within the Barcelona team, though his seeming lack of popularity may also be due to his infamous amateur dramatics on the pitch.

Whatever the reason, Busquets will be hoping for all the support he can get for the coming campaign, as he faces his toughest test yet to hold on to a place in the Barcelona first team.

Malian midfielder Seydou Keita may seem happy to play second fiddle to Busquets whilst seeking a move away, but the same cannot be said of his closest rival Javier Mascherano.

When Pep Guardiola paid £22 million for Mascherano at the beginning of last season, he was not simply buying an expensive understudy to former youth team star Busquets.

Guardiola evidently recognised that the Catalan midfield was missing some of the steel and graft that Mascherano brought to Liverpool and Argentina.

Whilst the Argentine may be adept at playing in central defence, he too is likely to crave a starting role in the defensive midfield position.

Busquets may well have his work cut out for him and not simply because of Mascherano. This summer saw the emergence of Thiago Alcântara at the European Under 21 championships.

Manchester United even showed interest in signing the star before Barcelona secured his services with a lucrative long term deal. Eager to impress, Thiago Alcântara could be the dark horse to win a place in Guardiola's starting eleven. 

Central Midfield: Xavi Hernandez

World Footballer of the Year in 2011, Xavi Hernandez is unlikely to see him route to the Barcelona first team blocked by anyone, even if the Catalans do finally sign Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas.

A near perfect passing record is backed up by a range and vision that has drawn comparison from many with Michel Platini and many other great passers in the history of the game.

Last season saw the Spaniard enjoy a 94 percent completion rate on all his passes in La Liga, whilst he enjoyed an 88 percent completion rate with dribbling too.

Add to this the fact that Xavi is Barcelona born and bred, and you have a club icon who holds the record for the most appearances for the Catalans and is likely to reign over proceedings for the foreseeable future.

Attacking Midfield / Wide Striker: Andrés Iniesta

Andreas Iniesta. like Xavi before him, remains one of Pep Guardiola's untouchables.

Still only 27, the best could be yet to come from the Spanish star, and the Catalan coach will be keen to keep Iniesta sweet, with the likes of Inter Milan all too happy to take him on.

More importantly, Iniesta seems to be hitting top form too. Last season saw the attacking midfielder score eight goals in La Liga, setting a personal best that he will undoubtedly seek to better during the coming campaign. 

Ultimately the biggest threat to Iniesta's place is the Barcelona first team could well be Iniesta himself. A series of niggling injuries have seen the forwards appearances reduced slightly and should these continue, the likes of Ibrahim Afellay and Alexis Sanchez could well get a first team opportunity.

However, it is his attacking midfield partner that faces the most competition...

Attacking Midfield/ Wide Striker : Pedro vs Alexis Sanchez vs Ibrahim Afellay

A difficult one to predict, but Pedro could well find himself facing stiff competition to keep his place in the Barcelona first team.

Three dream seasons at the Nou Camp have seen the academy product enjoy unrivalled success with Pedro, even setting a record for having scored in six separate competitions for Barcelona in one single season.

Yet once again, Pep Guardiola's transfer dealings suggest a level of uncertainty about Pedro's position in the team. Ibrahim Afellay arrived in January and looked likely to occupy the wide right attacking role. 

However, the Dutchman was slow to adapt, and Pedro kept his place, even filling in for David Villa on occasion. The new arrival of Alexis Sanchez brings another option to the position too, with Alexis Sanchez offering a new lease of speed on the wing that could prove devastating to opponents of the Catalans.

Ibrahim Afellay, meanwhile, has vowed to stay and fight for his place and must surely see Pedro's position as the most viable.

Whilst Sanchez is likely to also be used as an understudy to the likes of Lionel Messi and David Villa, Pedro could find himself under increasing pressure to perform.

Should the Spaniard endure a poor start or loss of form, first Sanchez, and then Afellay are likely to get a chance to shine.

Supporting Striker/ False Number Nine: Lionel Messi

The arrival of diminutive attacking talent like Alexis Sanchez and Ibrahim Afellay would be enough to unsettle most players.

Fortunately for Barcelona, though, Lionel Messi is not like "most players," as last season's La Liga efforts demonstrate. Thirty-one goals in 33 La Liga appearances would have gained more notoriety if it had not been for the inflated efforts of Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo, who went one better with 41 La Liga goals.

Despite this, Messi also enjoyed success in Europe, scoring 12 Champions league goals as well as becoming top score in the tournament for the third year running, becoming only the third player to achieve this feat.

Other highlights included a nine-game goal scoring streak in La Liga and a Ballon D'Or award win.

Yet Messi was also a major provider of goals, with 18 assists to his name in La Liga and a tireless work ethic alongside incredible passing and dribbling skills. 

Quite simply, Messi remains an irreplaceable part of Pep Guardiola's starting eleven for Barcelona.

Striker: David Villa

Recent criticism of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his time at the Nou Camp moved many fans to point out that the big Swede did in fact share a matching goals to game record with David Villa during their respective debut seasons for Barcelona.

Indeed, Villa scored 18 goals in La Liga last season, as well as a further four in Barcelona's victorious UEFA Champions League campaign.

However, there are two key differences between David Villa and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. For starters, Villa is more of a team player, having contributed nine assists domestically and in Europe.

Crucially, Villa has a proven record as a big game player. Two goals against Real Madrid in the 5-0 demolition of Real Madrid, as well as the curling effort in the Champions League final when Barca needed a goal most, are testament of that.

Should Villa suffer injury, then Guardiola may be forced to shuffle his pack, with Pedro the likely candidate to take up the forward role. Yet no other player in the Barcelona squad really possesses the brute force and strikers instincts that Villa has.

An injury at a key moment could prove disastrous for Barcelona.