FC Barcelona enter a demanding stretch of fixtures as club football resumes after the international break, with three of their next four matches set to be played against Atletico Madrid.
Ahead of this decisive run, the first team held their final training session before travelling to Madrid, where they will face Atletico on Saturday night.
Balde, Kounde back in training
According to Mundo Deportivo, Hansi Flick is set to recover two important defensive players for the league match at the Metropolitano.
Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde both trained normally with the group and are expected to be included in the matchday squad.
The two full-backs had been sidelined for a month after sustaining hamstring injuries during the Copa del Rey semifinal tie against Atletico Madrid.
Alejandro Balde of FC Barcelona
Ready for Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
The pair had resumed working on the pitch during the international break over the past couple of weeks. Now, they are back working with the rest of the group normally and are expected to be ready to face Atletico.
No Frenkie de Jong
In contrast, Frenkie de Jong has not yet recovered from his injury. The Dutch midfielder has been out since late February due to a hamstring issue he picked up during training.
He continued his rehabilitation with individual training today and is not expected to be available for the upcoming match against Atletico Madrid.
However, De Jong could return for the following fixture against the same opposition next week in the UEFA Champions League.
Meanwhile, Raphinha and Frenkie de Jong also remain unavailable due to injuries.
The session was completed with the participation of several players from the reserve side, including Diego Kochen, Xavi Espart and Tommy Marques.