FC Barcelona received a much-needed boost during their training camp at St. George’s Park, with both Raphinha and Alejandro Balde returning to team activities ahead of their next pre-season match, as reported by SPORT.
During Thursday morning’s session, the Brazilian winger participated in part of the training, while Balde successfully completed the entire workout after recovering from recent back issues.
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This marked the Blaugrana’s fifth training session in England and the penultimate one before their match against Birmingham City. The squad is scheduled to return to the Bobby Charlton pitches later for another session.
Raphinha Takes Precautions in Pre-Season Training
Raphinha has officially begun preparations for his fifth season with Barcelona. Following a well-deserved summer break, the Brazilian joined the camp on Wednesday, easing back into full training after a challenging period of injuries that affected both his club and international appearances.
His objective is to regain the form that made him one of Barcelona’s key players during the 2024/25 season under Hansi Flick, when he was a genuine contender for the Ballon d’Or.
Raphinha’s World Cup run with Brazil ended prematurely; he played in the first two group matches before sustaining a thigh injury against Haiti. Although he was included in the squad for Brazil’s round of 16 match against Norway, he did not make an appearance as the Selecao was eliminated.
Consequently, Barcelona is adopting a cautious approach to his return, focusing on his long-term fitness rather than immediate game participation.
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As such, he is not expected to play against Birmingham City, but there is a possibility of him returning for Monday’s friendly against Preston North End.
Balde Participates Fully in Training
In other news, Balde also made a positive return, completing the entire training session.
The left-back has fully recovered from the minor back issue that previously limited his activities, which forced him to train individually. He is now back participating normally with the team.
Despite his improvement, Barcelona is also expected to rest him during the match against Birmingham as the coaching staff carefully manage his fitness.
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Tommy Marques Unavailable
The only player missing from Thursday’s morning practice, along with long-term absentee Frenkie de Jong, was Tommy Marques, who was absent due to muscle overload and is considered doubtful for the upcoming friendly.
As pre-season enters a critical phase, Hansi Flick continues to focus on building his players’ fitness levels, integrating young talents, and fine-tuning his squad in preparation for the start of the 2026-27 season.