Barça’S Defence Is Already Split. Everyone Is Training Separately

Pre-season has only just begun, and Hansi Flick is already coaching several teams at once. Mundo Deportivo reports that Ronald Araujo and Alejandro Balde are still not training with the squad. The Uruguayan is following an individual programme after a muscle injury, while the club is officially “managing Balde’s workload”. A lovely way of saying that, for now, even a healthy player is best left untouched.

Araujo missed the entire World Cup through injury and is now rebuilding his fitness before another battle for a place in the starting line-up. Balde is also working separately, even though the league season does not begin for another month. Barcelona have not played a single friendly yet, but the defence has already been arranged according to club tradition: some on the pitch, some in the treatment room and the rest waiting to see what happens.

On Friday, Barça will play their first behind-closed-doors test against CE Europa. Flick is currently working with no fewer than 17 youth-team players, so technically there is no shortage of options. It is a tried-and-tested system in Barcelona — whenever the senior players cannot train, La Masia instantly transforms from the club’s philosophy into an emergency service.