Barcelona resumed training on Thursday, following a day off, with their international players returning to training in preparation for their La Liga and Champions League clashes against Atlético Madrid.
Barcelona will face Atlético Madrid three times in 10 days, starting with next Saturday’s clash in La Liga’s 30th round.
Brazilian Raphinha was not present at the training ground, and the striker, who sustained an injury whilst on international duty, is expected to arrive in Barcelona in the coming hours, according to the newspaper Mundo Deportivo.
The newspaper added that the club expects him to join the squad to begin his treatment programme over the weekend (Saturday or Sunday).
Rafinha began his rehabilitation programme to recover from an injury to his right hamstring in Brazil, and Barcelona have given him permission to start his rehabilitation there for the injury that will keep him out of action for five weeks.
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The newspaper noted that Barcelona’s German manager Hans Flick was able to call upon the rest of his international players today (with 15 Barcelona players having been called up for their national teams during this period), in preparation for the clash with Atlético Madrid.
The German manager will be able to count on the duo of Jules Koundé and Alejandro Balde, who have been training with the squad for a few days and have recovered from their injuries.
The French international had been suffering from a hamstring injury in his left leg since 4 March, whilst the left-back had been suffering from an injury to the lower part of the hamstring in his left leg, with a recovery period expected to take one month.
Meanwhile, Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong is still training in the gym and will not be available for the match against Atlético Madrid, as he is recovering from an injury sustained at the end of February. He did not train with his teammates today, but is likely to rejoin the squad tomorrow, However, this remains uncertain and will depend on his fitness.