Barcelona winger not training with team ahead of Espanyol encounter | OneFootball

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. 

In total, the coaching staff has planned five training sessions before the derby. 

The match against Espanyol is expected to be fiercely contested, and Barcelona want to arrive fully prepared, both physically and mentally.

Earlier this week, attention was on Lamine Yamal, who missed one of the sessions and was considered a doubt for the derby. 

However, those doubts have now eased, as Yamal returned to training today, and all indications suggest he will be ready to feature against Espanyol. 

Further clarity is expected once Hansi Flick addresses the media in his pre-match press conference.

The Roony Bardghji case

Roony Bardghji did not train with the group today. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

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.

From Barcelona’s perspective, this is seen as a precaution rather than a setback. Crucially, Bardghji has not been ruled out for the derby against Espanyol. 

The decision to keep him working individually appears to be part of a careful management plan, especially given the intensity of the upcoming schedule and the importance of avoiding unnecessary risks at this stage of the season.

The overall mood at the Ciutat Esportiva remains calm. With Yamal back in full training and Bardghji still in contention, Flick has reasons to be optimistic. 

The German is expected to provide more insight into both situations during his media appearance, which should help clarify who will be available for the first match of 2026.