Barcelona boss Xavi: Luuk de Jong is an exemplary professional

Xavi Hernandez was delighted with Luuk de Jong after the Dutchman's goal earned a depleted Barcelona a 1-0 win at Mallorca on Sunday.

De Jong stepped up with over 15 first-team players missing to head in the only goal of the game as Barça climbed to fifth in the table.

"Luuk's an exemplary professional," Xavi said. "There's talk about him leaving, but he works hard and sacrifices himself for the team. He's an amazing professional. I am happy with him.

"Of course I consider that he could stay, he was useful today. We will see in the future, everything is just a hypothesis for now."

De Jong hit the post and then the bar with a spectacular bicycle kick before finally opening the scoring.

"I felt good," the striker said. "I just try to be ready whenever the coach needs me. You saw that today, I had some opportunities, the post, the bar with the bicycle kick, unfortunately I couldn't score that one, it would have been the best goal of my career.

"But you have to be ready for the next one and I scored the next and we won the game.

"I never [felt] mistreated. Everyone has always been honest to me, I know my situation, where I come from. I just keep working hard in training & if the coach needs me I will be ready."