Barça are back in league action at 18.00 this Saturday when they visit Anoeta to take on Real Sociedad and that will be the start of three weeks of intensive action, with seven games in 23 days.

Following their return from Donosti, Guardiola’s men face AC Milan at the Camp Nou in the team’s Champions League opener, whilst the following week they are in Mestalla to face Valencia in the first midweek league fixture of the campaign, with Atletico Madrid visiting the Camp Nou the weekend after.

It’s never an easy task to get the team back after an international break and it’s not made any easier by the fact that Guardiola’s team have to play four of the seven games, 5 league and 2 Champions League , away from home –against Real Sociedad, Valencia, Bate Borisov and Sporting de Gijón.