On the eve of this season’s first El Clasico, FC Barcelona got a massive and very surprising fitness boost. Frenkie de Jong, Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Pedri all returned to training. Whether or not they feature tomorrow afternoon, and if so in what capacity, remains to be seen.
Barca boss Xavi was pleasantly surprised to have the stellar quartet back in the mix, but would not disclose any information about their availability for potential selection.
El Clasico FYIs
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La Liga Fixture: Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona, Watch: ESPN+
Kickoff: Sat Oct. 28, 16:15 CET, Olympic Stadium, Barcelona, Spain
FC Barcelona Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Real Madrid Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
La Liga Standing, Form: Real Madrid 1st, 25 pts, DWWWL FC Barcelona 3rd 24 pts WDWDW
Google Result Probability: Real Madrid 34% Draw 26% FC Barcelona 40%
It is understandable why he remained coy, as this kind of gamesmanship is very common ahead of a huge match like this.
“I was surprised [that they were all able to train],” Xavi said during his prematch press conference today.
“The sensations during the session were very good. We will see how they feel later and will name the squad on Saturday. It’s fantastic to have them all back training.
“Players we had ruled out want to play. Everyone is making a huge effort because they want to be involved in the Clásico, but we won’t start anyone who is not 100%.”
We probably won’t see all of them named to the team sheet tomorrow, but we could see a couple of them in action. At least in a cameo role off the bench. De Jong and Kounde are well ahead of their rehabilitation schedule.
Another player who had been injured for a decent amount of time, Raphinha, also returned to training this week.
And with Joao Felix also confirming that he is ok, despite limping off early in the midweek Champions League clash, it means there is only one confirmed El Clasico absentee for Barca: Sergi Roberto. Of course, on the flip side, Real Madrid’s main fitness worries have been alleviated, as Jude Bellingham has declared himself fully fit.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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