Injuries and physical setbacks have taken a toll on FC Barcelona early in the season, with several key players sidelined. Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Pedri, and Frenkie de Jong remain on the road to recovery from various injuries. To make matters potentially worse, Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde also experienced discomfort recently.
However, there is some positive news for Barcelona supporters. SPORT reports that Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde have rejoined group training and are working alongside their teammates to regain their fitness ahead of the match against Athletic Club.
It’s worth noting that during the recent training session, these two players could only participate in a portion of the session. This session was held on Wednesday, and it was a joint training session with Barcelona Athletic players. Additionally, Barcelona still has several first-team players away on international duties.
Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo are among those who have yet to return to Barcelona, having received permission from the club due to their recent international matches with Portugal. Five other players, including Ter Stegen, Ilkay Gundogan, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, and Fermin Lopez, are also yet to rejoin Barcelona’s training.
Nonetheless, the presence of Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde in the training session is a positive development for Barcelona and Xavi. They will likely be available not only for the match against Bilbao but also for upcoming crucial fixtures against Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Madrid.