With most of Hansi Flick’s squad away on international duty and the few available FC Barcelona players resting after Thursday’s session, Marc Casado’s presence at the Ciutat Esportiva stood out on Friday.
On what was supposed to be an off day, the La Masia midfielder showed up to the club facilities voluntarily to train.
Recovering from the adductor discomfort
Now, according to Mundo Deportivo, Casado was at the Ciutat Esportiva today as he continued to work on recovering from his adductor discomfort that is still bothering him.
The midfielder was named in the starting lineup for Barcelona’s last game against Celta Vigo before the international break.
However, he was withdrawn from the team and replaced by Dani Olmo as he felt a sharp pain in the adductor during the warm-ups.
Although the Blaugrana have expressed optimism regarding his injury, Casado has not set foot on the pitch throughout the week, at least not alongside his teammates, and has instead worked in the gym to recover and be available for the match against Athletic Club.
Barcelona will need Casado to be available for the game on 22 November, as Frenkie de Jong is suspended, while Gavi is out injured, and Pedri is unlikely to return from his physical issue either.
So, Casado, still concerned about the adductor discomfort, is making use of the international break to work on his recovery and ensure that he is fit and available for Hansi Flick when Barcelona return to action next week.
Meanwhile, Marc Bernal, the only natural defensive midfielder currently available, also trained at Ciutat Esportiva on Friday. On Tuesday, he will play for the Catalonia national team against Palestine in a friendly, to build rhythm ahead of Barça vs Athletic.