No Rest for the Dedicated: Araújo and Gavi Voluntarily Train on Day Off
Hansi Flick gave his Barça squad a couple of days off after the Levante win, but Araújo and Gavi weren't having it — both rocked up to the training ground anyway.
Hansi Flick handed his Barça lads a well-earned rest after Sunday’s La Liga clash with Levante — but some of them clearly didn’t get the memo about putting their feet up.
The Gaffer Gives Them a Break — They Don’t Take It
Flick told the squad to switch off for a couple of days, with the full group not due back until Wednesday morning to start prepping for Saturday’s trip to Villarreal. Fair enough — the fixture list this season has been absolutely relentless. But a couple of players clearly couldn’t stay away from the Ciutat Esportiva, rocking up on Tuesday to get some gym work in on their own time. That’s the kind of mentality that wins titles, innit.
Araújo Fighting to Get Back in the Picture
Ronald Araújo was one of those who spent a good chunk of Tuesday morning at the training ground. The Uruguayan centre-back has found himself on the fringes of Flick’s starting XI lately, which must be doing his nut in given the quality he’s shown over the years at the club. But rather than sulk about it, he’s doing the opposite — putting in extra graft to make sure he’s in peak condition whenever the call comes.
- Araújo is currently not a regular starter under Flick
- The business end of the season means rotations are inevitable across all positions
- With the fixture pile-up, everyone’s going to get minutes — he wants to be ready when his comes
Sensible approach, to be fair. The congested run-in is going to need bodies, and Flick’s going to have to shuffle his pack whether he likes it or not.
Gavi Edging Closer to His Return
The other familiar face spotted at the training ground was Gavi. The Andalusian midfielder has been out since September after going under the knife for an arthroscopic procedure on his internal meniscus — not a nice one. The good news? He’s been doing partial sessions with the group since last week, and his return is now looking like a matter of weeks rather than months.
- Expected back as soon as next month
- Flick is being ultra-cautious — absolutely no rush, no relapses wanted
- His reintegration is being managed carefully given the significance of the injury
You can understand Flick treading carefully here. Gavi is the sort of player who changes games, and the last thing Barça need is to rush him back only for him to break down again.
Christensen Still on the Sidelines
One player who won’t be making a surprise appearance at training any time soon is Andreas Christensen. The Danish international is still deep into his rehabilitation after suffering a partial rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a training session back in December. That recovery process continues — no shortcuts there.
All in all, the injury picture at Barça is slowly brightening, but Flick will need to keep managing his squad smartly as the season heads into its most crucial stretch.