The B team will be back in training this evening after a week’s break to begin preparations for their game against Las Palmas on Sunday.
With the
1-1 draw against Ponferradina in the last game of 2010 still fresh in their minds, the squad will
no doubt be heeding
Luis Enrique ’s demand after that game for more intensity from his players.
Busy week
The players will be back at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper at 17.30
this evening to begin preparations for the game against Las Palmas, their first game of 2011, with
a total of 7 sessions programmed for this week, morning and afternoon on Tuesday and
Wednesday. And a single morning session on Thursday and Friday. 25 players, including Youth Team
player Sergi Gomez have been called up for this evening’s training, with Thiago not included,
as he will be with the first team squad from Wednesday.
Both teams in need of a win
The game against Las Palmas will be a chance for the team to put an end
to their six game run without a win – one defeat and five draws – and confirm their
solid start to the campaign that saw them finish the year in sixth place. Las Palmas are seven
places and six points below Barça B and come into the game on the back of three straight defeats,
the latest a 5-2 loss in Cartegena. The stats though, are not too positive for Luis Enrique’s
team, with the reserves claiming just one win from their six visits to Las Palmas, that one coming
in the 1983/84 season when they won 0-1.
Photos: FCB archive.
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Bartra and Fontàs called up for Catalonia
The B team’s centre half pairing of Marc Bartra and Andreu Fontàs have both been called up by
Johan Cruyff for the friendly between Catalonia and Honduras at the Luis Companys Olympic Stadium
on Tuesday night, but they will both train with the rest of the B squad on Monday night.