Recovery session, update on Milito and Maxwell
The same players who beat Osasuna Saturday night were back at the Cuitat Esportiva on Sunday morning, training behind closed doors.
A total of 16 first team players were on the pitch in Sant Joan Despi, including Carles Puyol, who continued doing individual specific work. The players who started against Osasuna worked on recovering from their efforts. Absent from the session were the injured group of Bojan, Abidal and Adriano. Also missing were Milito and Maxwell, who were undergoing medical tests during the session to determine the extent of their injuries (more on that below).
Rounding out the group were Thiago and Montoya from the B team. Both had been on the squad list for the Osasuna match, with Thiago playing all ninety minutes.
The session began with a little rain and saw the return of the Champions League ball, which will be the same ball with which the team will face the first leg of the semifinals on Wednesday against Madrid. Interestingly, this week has seen the club train with the official balls of the Cup, the League and the Champions League.
The team will train Monday from seven in the evening (19:00) behind closed doors at Camp Nou. Before the session, Andrés Iniesta will talk to the press.
Maxwell and Milito
After underoing ultrasound and MRI scans on Sunday morning, the club’s Medical Services have confirmed that Milito has suffered a small pull to his right calf, and Maxwell has a groin strain. The availability of both players will depend on their recovery from their respective injuries.
fully agree…barca is at their best when the flow of play is fully dictated by the mighty mice trio :p…. I find the ONLY time our d is caught out is when one of those 3 lose the ball cheaply and at dangerous positions ie. NOT in the opponents box….
hope they can maintain the ball well
Maxwell likely saved a goal vs. Osasuna. I've never had much problem with his defense; it's his offense that worries me, because he tends to give the ball away easily.
Pep better buy a couple players at least in the Summer. We need at least 1 more solid center-back as Milito cannot be counted on anymore. Or they have to place their faith in Fontas and hope he can break into the first team completely.
Also, I think we either need a young striker, who won't mind not starting, or an oler experienced striker, who also wouldn't mind a bench role. Right now, if any of Villa, Pedro, or Messi are out, we cannot seem to get many goals. Plus, they all seem to have some dry spells as well. Bojan, although i want him to succeed, just isn't good enough. We have to accept that eventually. And Afellay, I believe, works best more in the midfield than up top. Jeffren and Nolito are two others that just won't be up to Barcelona's standards. I mean who of all of them could seriously pose a threat to the Madrid back line?
In summary: We need at least one more good defender, and one more experienced/talented striker
How about Roma's Vucinic? He can be our next Larsson.
Nolito's exact birth date: Oct 15, 1986 so he's 24 by next season he'll be 25…
NB: Nolito said earlier this season that if Florentino perez wants him to sign for real madrid he wouldn't think twice about it. He has respect for barcelona & everything but he wants to continue his career elsewhere where he can have regular place in first team matches. Btw Barça a contract renewal @ the beginning of the season But Nolito turned the offer down.
For That good defender i would go for bale "If he can adapt to barcelona's tiki-taka game"
Bale has a great speed and don't stop running "Just like alves" but he sometimes like to push the ball forward all by him self and that's a small problem… As for the striker we should go for rossi/neymar they both are talented young guys.
I Don't know what do you think ?
As for our Lb : I would go For Mascherano. Because keita will be too slow for Cristiano & We all saw mascherano he's a beast against him. Anw As some1 said before IN PEP WE TRUST
Agree that it's not a weak defense at first. But it will surely be extra fun playing "who will get the red card" with friends during the game. That is one quartet of fouling idiocy.