€90m Barcelona star closer to return than Pedri ahead of Athletic Club clash | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are using the November international break to focus on player recovery, as several first-team stars have joined their national squads.

Hansi Flick is left with a small group of players for training this week, with sessions scheduled until Thursday before the team takes the weekend off to prepare for their upcoming La Liga clash against Athletic Club on November 22.

On Tuesday, Alejandro Balde, Eric Garcia, Gerard Martin, Marc Bernal, Joan Garcia, Eder, and Wojciech Szczesny trained at the Ciutat Esportiva. However, as per Mundo Deportivo, the main focus of Flick and his staff remained on the recovery of two key players: Raphinha and Pedri.

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The €90 million-rated Brazilian winger has been sidelined since September 25 with a right thigh injury (biceps femoris) sustained against Real Oviedo. While his initial recovery was expected to take three weeks, complications have extended his absence.

The club is optimistic that Raphinha could return in time for the Athletic Club match, as he approaches the final stage of his rehabilitation.

Pedri, on the other hand, suffered a distal left thigh injury during the last El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu on October 26. The midfielder’s recovery is progressing more slowly, and the coaching staff is less confident about his availability for the upcoming fixture.

Other injured players, including Gavi and Marc Casado, continued their gym sessions on Tuesday. Gavi had experienced a slight discomfort prior to the Celta match, but the medical team considers it a minor issue and expects him to be ready for the next game, while continuing to monitor his condition.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Joan Garcia has already resumed training with the first team and could feature against Athletic Club, providing a boost for Barcelona defense, which has been tested in recent matches.