Thierry Henry helped Barcelona open up a five-point lead at the top of the Primera Division with a victory over Xerez.

Henry opened the scoring a minute after half-time for his first goal since his hugely controversial handball last month that helped France reach the World Cup finals at the expense of the Republic of Ireland.

And it is that handball that could lead to the veteran striker possibly being banned for the start of next summer's World Cup finals after FIFA today announced that their disciplinary committee were looking into the incident.

Henry put that development aside to help Barca further strengthen their grip at the top of the league in their re-arranged fixture against Xerez, with substitute Zlatan Ibrahimovic adding a late second for the champions.

The game was initially meant to be played during the 15th round of Primera Division fixtures on the weekend of December 19-20, but due to Barca's commitments in the FIFA Club World Cup this month the game was brought forward.

Having returned to the top of the table with Sunday's 1-0 win over erstwhile leaders Real Madrid in 'El Clasico', Barca came into tonight's game knowing another victory would put significant daylight between them and their arch-rivals from the capital.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola opted to make a number of changes to his line-up, though, and with newly-crowned Ballon d'Or winner Leo Messi, Ibrahimovic, Andres Iniesta and captain Carles Puyol on the bench, the Catalan giants struggled to make much headway against their lowly hosts early on.

The difficult playing surface did not help much either, but Barca only created a couple of decent chances in the first period.

Henry missed one of them, blazing over left-footed after being put in by Dani Alves, and Yaya Toure chested another effort straight at Xerez goalkeeper Renan Brito after Xavi's free-kick had reached him at an awkward height right in front of goal.

Dimitro Chygrynskiy headed another opportunity wide at the far post following a Xavi corner, but otherwise Barca did little to suggest they were going to record their first away win in La Liga since September.

It took Barca just 58 seconds of the second half to get their noses in front, though.

Maxwell was given the ball in space down the left and his cross into middle was headed into the roof of the net by Henry at the near post.

That was just the start Barca would have been hoping for, and when Messi and Ibrahimovic were introduced by Guardiola in the next 20 minutes, it looked like being game over for Xerez.

However, the hosts, playing in the top flight for the first time in their 62-year history and with just seven points and four goals to their credit from their opening 12 games, put up a brave fight and actually created a few scares for their illustrious opponents.

Jose Angel Ziganda's side had threatened only briefly during the opening period, but they put Barca's rejigged defence under pressure and almost drew level in the 70th minute when Valdes produced a superb parry to deny Fabian Orellana.

Barca survived that opportunity, though, and they twice came close to doubling their lead in the closing stages before Ibrahimovic scored a superb chip.

Messi almost netted with a shot that struck the far post, before Iniesta hit the side-netting when it looked easier to score, but there was no denying Ibrahimovic who superbly chipped home his ninth league goal of the season after being put through by Messi.