"Barcelona's return to competitive action is gathering pace, and the build-up to the Catalan derby is already throwing up key talking points from the training ground. After a week-long Christmas break, the squad is now deep into an intense preparation phase ahead of their first official match of 2026 against Espanyol, a fixture that is traditionally charged with emotion and pressure. The Blaugrana kicked off the week on Monday with an open training session, marking their return after seven days away."
"While Yamal's situation appears to be moving in a positive direction, Friday's session introduced another small question mark. This time, the focus shifted to Roony Bardghji. The winger did not train with the rest of the squad, which immediately sparked speculation. However, the context is important. Bardghji is not sidelined completely. Instead, according to AS, he carried out individual gym work as part of a controlled workload."
Barcelona resumed training after a week-long Christmas break and began an intense preparation phase for the Catalan derby against Espanyol. The coaching staff scheduled five training sessions before the match. The match is expected to be fiercely contested, and Barcelona aim to arrive fully prepared both physically and mentally. Lamine Yamal missed one session and was initially considered a doubt, but he returned to training and is expected to be ready to feature. Further clarity will come from Hansi Flick's pre-match press conference. Roony Bardghji skipped group training to perform individual gym work as a controlled precaution, without being ruled out.
Read at Barca Universal
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