Barcelona midfielder absent from group training but heavyweight could return vs Young Boys

Barcelona will lock horns with Young Boys in their second match of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League tomorrow night at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

Coming into the game on the back of a 4-2 defeat against Osasuna, the Blaugrana will be hoping to bounce back strongly and pick up their first win in Europe, having lost to AS Monaco earlier this month.

No Gavi in training

Ahead of the game, as Barcelona continued their preparations at the Ciutat Esportiva complex, Mundo Deportivo reports that Gavi did not train with the rest of the group today.

The 20-year-old midfielder has resumed training with the group this month after a ten-month period on the sidelines due to an ACL rupture he suffered in November 2023.

Gavi has been training well and feels prepared to make a return to action, but Barcelona are erring on the side of caution with their midfield gem, given how long he has been out on the sidelines.

As such, the La Masia sensation was made to work inside the gym facilities today, away from the rest of the group, with his involvement against Young Boys tomorrow never under any consideration.

De Jong to return?

The same report states that Frenkie de Jong, another of Barcelona’s long-term absentees, worked with the group and could be given the green light by the medical department.

The 27-year-old has recovered from his ankle injury and has been training with the group over the past week or so.

Now, if there are no setbacks, he is expected to be at Hansi Flick’s disposal tomorrow against Young Boys.

Meanwhile, Sergi Dominguez, who picked up a knock against Osasuna over the weekend, is fit and trained normally with the team.

Other youngsters like Hector Fort, Gerard Martin, Guille Fernandez, Toni Fernandez, Aron Yaakobishvili, Ander Astralaga, and Andres Cuenca also trained with the senior team.

Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Fermin Lopez, Dani Olmo, Marc Bernal, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen remain ruled out.