Barcelona completed their penultimate training session at St George’s Park on Sunday as preparations for the new season continued, with Tommy Marques experiencing slight discomfort and Frenkie de Jong remaining in treatment for a serious knee injury.
The Spanish club held two sessions at the Sir Bobby Charlton pitch during the day, with manager Hansi Flick involving all available first-team players. The work formed part of Barcelona’s stay at the English Football Association’s national football centre, where the squad has been preparing for the campaign ahead.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona will train at St George’s Park for the final time on Monday before returning home earlier than originally planned. Their schedule has been brought forward following the cancellation of their friendly against Preston North End.
The alteration to the trip means Monday’s session will be the team’s last at the FA’s facilities. The club’s preparations have otherwise continued with a full programme of training, including opportunities for several younger players travelling with the senior squad.
New signing Jesse Bisiwu continued his adaptation to his new surroundings after training with his team-mates for the first time on Saturday. The defender took part in the opening section of the afternoon session with the group.
Alejandro Balde also joined the squad for that initial part of the evening workout, adding to the number of first-team players involved during the day.
As has been customary throughout Barcelona’s time in England, players from the club’s senior and reserve groups took part in the sessions. Those travelling to St George’s Park included Aaron Yaakobishvili, Iker Rodriguez, Hamza Abdelkarim, Ibrima Tunkara, Alvaro Cortes, Alex Gonzalez, Jordi Pesquer, Brian Farinas, Jofre Torrents, Xavi Espart, Ibrahim Diarra, Toni Fernandez, Shane Kluivert, Oscar Gistau, Oriol Goren and Gil Fernandez.
Marques trained during the morning despite feeling slight discomfort but was rested for the afternoon session. The report did not provide further details about the nature of the issue.
De Jong, meanwhile, continues his recovery programme as he receives treatment for a serious knee injury. His rehabilitation remains separate from the main training work being carried out by Flick’s available players.
Sunday’s sessions therefore represented the second-to-last day of Barcelona’s training camp in England. The side will complete its final workout at St George’s Park on Monday before heading back to Spain, with the cancellation of the Preston fixture bringing the trip to an earlier conclusion than expected.
