Madrid, Feb 11 (IANS): FC Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez on Saturday gave his vote of confidence to the club's 20-year-old striker Ansu Fati.

Fati has made 20 league appearances for Barca this season, but those appearances have totaled less than 800 minutes, in which he has netted three goals.

There is a feeling that Fati is still struggling for either confidence or fitness after four knee operations and a hamstring problem, and there has even been speculation that Barca's economic situation could see them tempted to try and sell the player, who three years ago was tipped to become the 'new Messi', a Xinhua report said. 

Club president Joan Laporta fueled that speculation in a press conference on Friday when he said, "We are not planning any kind of sale right now. You can never say what might happen in the future. It all depends on how useful [Fati] is to the team and to the coach."

However, Xavi was much clearer in his defense of the Spain international.

"In my opinion he is not transferrable. Nobody is transferrable at this time. I don't understand why we are talking about things like this, or selling Ansu, now that the transfer window has closed," said the coach.

Xavi insisted that Fati was "a fundamental player for us. I have extraordinary confidence and great hopes for him."

"He is a player for both the present and the future," continued Xavi, who added that Fati needed "patience, and to progress bit by bit."