We are just one week before the season restart as Barcelona take on Espanyol in the Catalan derby. The club will return to action after 53 days of early winter break due to the FIFA World Cup.
With Xavi Hernandez having all his players available, apart from the exception of Jules Kounde and Ousmane Dembele, the Barcelona coach has tightened up the training and wants the team to be fully prepared against Espanyol, reports Mundo Deportivo.
Given the fact that this break is different from the end-season break, where players are often devoid of footballing action, Xavi has shifted his training method slightly. The Barcelona coaches, in fact, have adopted a two-hour training combining physical and tactical activities.
Unlike other Spanish teams, Barcelona have also opted to train within themselves rather than relying on friendlies to get up to speed. Yesterday, they organised a friendly between all the members of the first-team squad, along with youngsters such as Chadi Riad, Angel Alarcon and Arnau Casas, among others.
In addition to a tightened training schedule, Xavi has instructed his players to learn to play without Robert Lewandowski. The Polish international will start serving the first of his three-match suspension against Espanyol next week and his absence is sure to cause problems in the offensive unit.
Hence Barcelona are coming up with methods to play without Lewandowski. The likes of Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati are favourites to serve as an alternative for the former Bayern Munich superstar, while Memphis Depay can be another option.
Overall, the Barcelona coaches are extremely happy with the fitness levels of all the players and how well they have responded to the training mechanism, despite most of them being involved in the strenuous World Cup schedule.
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