FCBARCELONA.CAT

25.03.2010 12:10

Xavi and Piqué start training

Vanessa Forns

FC Barcelona returned to training on Thursday morning with the aim of recuperating after the game against Osasuna the evening before and saw Gerard Piqué and Xavi join in the session.

No less than 22 players reported for duty at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper complex and the usual routine was implemented with the starting team from the match working on warming down, while the rest worked normally. Already, however, preparations were being made for the game against Real Mallorca at the weekend.

Touré and Keita

Four youth team starlets joined in as Guardiola called up Dalmau, Jonathan Dos Santos, Miño and Espiosa. Seydou Keita and Touré Yaya were the only first-team players not present as they continued with their respective recuperation programmes.

Doing the usual post-match recovery were Messi, Iniesta, Valdés, Milito, Puyol, Maxwell, Alves, Ibra and Sergio Busquets, while Thierry henry, who played in the first half against Osasuna, also joined in with the other players.

Xavi and Piqué

The best news of the day was that Piqué and Xavi were able to kick a ball and show that they are on the road back to full fitness. Piqué was rested against Osasuna as a precaution after he suffered a knee injury, while Xavi is recovering from a calf strain suffered in training.