Barcelona’s preparations for the new campaign are now well underway as Hansi Flick continues putting his players through an intense pre-season schedule in England.
The Catalan giants are currently based at St George’s Park, where training has stepped up ahead of the club’s first friendly of the summer.
Fitness has been a major focus during the opening days of camp, with new fitness coach Benjamin Kugel already putting the squad through demanding sessions.
Barcelona’s players kicked off Wednesday with work inside the gym before moving outside onto the Bobby Charlton pitch later in the morning.
Although one key midfielder was absent from full training, he has remained an important part of the travelling group.
Frenkie de Jong has travelled to England with the Barcelona squad despite still recovering from the serious knee injury he suffered during the FIFA World Cup, as reported by AS.
The Dutch international is currently following a conservative rehabilitation programme after sustaining the injury during the tournament and has continued his recovery inside the gym while his teammates trained outdoors.
Barcelona began Wednesday’s football session at 10:30am after completing their morning gym work, with Frenkie de Jong remaining on his individual programme throughout.
The squad later returned for another session in the afternoon as part of the first double-training day of the week.
Further sessions are planned for Thursday and Sunday before Barcelona conclude their stay in England.
The Catalan side are preparing for their pre-season friendly against Birmingham City on July 31 before returning home to face Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy on August 19.
While De Jong is still some way from returning to competitive action, his presence alongside the squad represents another step in his recovery as Barcelona continue to monitor his progress closely.
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