FORMER Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen has been branded a "lost centre-back" amid his recent struggles at Barcelona.
Christensen, 27, joined the LaLiga giants on a free transfer from Chelsea in the summer of 2022.
He won the LaLiga title during his first season with Xavi's side after making 23 appearances.
However, the defender has struggled to find the same form this season.
Christensen established himself as Xavi's first-choice central defender last season alongside Jules Kounde.
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But despite a strong start to this campaign, the ex-Chelsea star has fallen out of favour.
Christensen was benched for Barcelona's last two LaLiga games amid his run of poor form.
And his most recent appearances came in the club's defeats to Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk.
Amid Christensen's struggles, Spanish outlet AS has harshly labelled him as "the lost centre-back".
The news website also heaped praise on Inigo Martinez, who has replaced him in the squad.
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Martinez, 32, joined Barcelona on a free transfer from Athletic Bilbao in July and has since made eight first team appearances.
The defender's impressive performances have also seen him force his way back into the Spanish national team.
Despite his current form, Christensen has still featured regularly for Denmark.
Before joining Barcelona the 27-year-old spent 10 years with Chelsea, where he made 161 senior appearances.
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