This article is part of Football FanCast's The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Barcelona are travelling away to the Czech Republic on Wednesday to face Slavia Prague in the Champions Leauge.

And even though it's difficult to see him starting the game, Ernesto Valverde simply has to find some minutes for Ousmane Dembele.

On the chalkboard

The Blaugrana are definitely improving.

After all, they have tallied five successive victories across all competitions and even managed to keep two clean sheets in the process.

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As a result, they are now top of the table in La Liga and are level on points with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. But this clash could be huge for Dembele, in particular.

The 22-year-old Frenchman has been struggling with fitness issues this season and his game time has diminished drastically.

Not to mention that his recent suspension and the postponement of El Clasico won't really help his cause. For that reason, it's crucial Valverde gives him a shot tonight.

Aching to play

Dembele is talented and one has to feel that he has what it takes to make it on the biggest stage but he is struggling due to various external reasons.

Injuries, for one, are a big part of that struggle.

The young Frenchman has already missed six games in the ongoing 2019/20 campaign due to various fitness setbacks and has, for that reason, only tallied three games under his name in the Spanish top-flight.

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And then when he finally got the chance to play, he got sent off in the clash against Sevilla with a direct red card from referee Mateu Lahoz, which resulted in a two-game ban for the forward. That suspension, however, is only valid in La Liga which means he can still play in the Champions League.

But it may be his only chance for a long while.

After all, not only did he miss the last game against Eibar in the domestic league but Barcelona will also miss out on playing this weekend with the Clasico being moved to December 18th.

That gives the Catalans a weekend off and when they do return to action next Tuesday, guess who won't be in the squad due to his suspension? Dembele.

With that being said, if Valverde keeps him sidelined against Slavia, that would mean that he would have been without any football from 19 October until possibly 2 November, missing out on three games in the process.

For a young footballer who is struggling with game time as it is, that is far too much.

Seeing how the clash with Slavia Prague could be his only chance to tally some minutes, Valverde absolutely has to utilise him.