Barcelona defender misses group training as Hansi Flick introduces individual workload plan | OneFootball

Alejandro Balde was absent from FC Barcelona’s group training session on Tuesday, although there is no suggestion that the left-back has suffered a new injury.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Balde instead completed an individual programme at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper as the club looked to carefully manage his physical workload during pre-season.

The 22-year-old was the first player to follow one of the specific training plans introduced following the arrival of new fitness coach Benjamin Kugel.

Barcelona intend to use individual programmes throughout pre-season depending on each player’s fatigue levels and accumulated workload. The objective is to allow Hansi Flick’s squad to work at high intensity without unnecessarily pushing players beyond their physical limits.

For Balde, that meant spending Tuesday away from the main group rather than participating in the regular session.

There should therefore be no immediate cause for concern from a Barcelona perspective. Pre-season is demanding, particularly under Flick, and managing workloads intelligently could prove important over a long campaign.

La Masia youngster steps in during training

Balde’s absence also created an opportunity for highly rated 17-year-old Jordi Pesquer, who was called up to train with the first team.

The La Masia left-back was the new face in Tuesday’s session and received his first experience of working directly under Flick.

Barcelona have another double training session scheduled for Wednesday, when it should become clearer whether Balde is ready to return to full group training or will continue with his individual programme.

Either way, Barca’s decision appears to be based on prevention rather than necessity.

Balde is an important part of Flick’s squad, and after injury problems interrupted periods of his development in previous seasons, careful physical management makes sense. Barcelona need the explosive version of their left-back when competitive football begins, not necessarily every day in July.