Romeu ready to step up for Barcelona amid injury crisis

Oriol Romeu says he's ready to step up for Barcelona.

Injuries to midfield pair Frenkie de Jong and Pedri have created an opening for Romeu.

He said: "The injuries to Pedri and De Jong were two hard blows. I am ready for whatever the coach needs. My start was good, I was having fun. Then my performances dropped: I tried solutions, answers, it was said that there were mental problems but there never were.

"Sometimes you simply don't have as much fun on the pitch as you would like. The worst thing was not being able to help my teammates. Over time the sensations improved and I hope to enjoy these last three months.

"If I've learned anything this year it's to avoid criticism. A player is already aware of what mistakes he makes or what he does well. He doesn't have to go on social media to find out what happened, for better or for worse. I tell young people to ignore social media: you must surround yourself with people who love you and who give you their most honest opinion."