Lamine, Pedri and the World Champions Are Back with the Group

Barcelona have published fresh images from Thursday morning’s session, describing it as group training featuring all players. After several staggered returns following the World Cup, Flick is finally getting almost the whole available squad working together again.

That is a clear step forward from Wednesday, when Lamine Yamal had only just returned to the pitch for individual work with the ball. Now Barça are showing a full group session rather than another collection of personalised programmes and recovery work.

The timing matters. Barcelona still have friendlies against Basel on 16 August and Al Ahly in the Gamper on 19 August before their league opener at Elche on 23 August. Flick finally has the players back. Now he has to turn a collection of different post-World Cup fitness levels into something resembling a starting XI.