Barcelona Coach Ernesto Valverde has played down fears over Luis Suarez’s form in the Champions League after firing blanks in Lyon.
The Uruguayan striker has not netted in five Champions League games this season and going further back, has just one in his last 17 games in the competition – a run stretching back to 2017.
“It doesn’t worry me,” Valverde responded when asked about Suarez’s recent form, as cited by ESPN.
Suarez, 32, is Barca’s fifth all-time top scorer with 168 goals in 231 games going into Saturday’s league game at Sevilla (15:15 GMT).
“Luis Suarez guarantees us chances in every game,” Valverde said.
The Uruguayan has scored 16 goals this season, including a hat-trick against Real Madrid in October, but has only netted once in the past month.
“It’s difficult to do without him,” said Valverde.
“Everything is always focused around the big names at certain times. In the case of Luis, it is curious because this same focus has been placed on him before and he has answered by scoring many goals.
“In the last two games he has had clear chances to score. All we need is patience and perseverance, which is what he does. I and everyone else has patience because he is a great player.”
Barca have won just one of their last five games in all competitions — drawing the other four — and Suarez has failed to find the net in any of those matches.
The Uruguayan striker, who came in for heavy criticism following his performance in the Champions League stalemate against Lyon in midweek, has registered just one goal in his last 17 appearances in Europe.
Barcelona face a tricky fixture on Saturday when they travel to Sevilla – a team they lost to by two goals to nil in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-finals before a 6-1 home victory in the second leg.