Recovery day

 
The first team trained behind closed doors at La Masía today, Monday, though with many absences as a lot of the players have been doing special work to recover from a range of physical knocks.
Just hours after going down to Mallorca at the Camp Nou, Barça were on the training pitch at La Masía for a session held behind closed doors. As is usually the case on the day after a match, training focussed on muscle recovery.

Out on the pitch were Valdés, Pinto, Giovani, Bojan, Ezquerro, Abidal, Oleguer and Puyol along with reserve team players Fali and Rueda who had also been called up for the clash with Mallorca. The session was run by Johan Neeskens and Eusebio Sacristán.

Albert Jorquera, who was seriously injured in December, continued with his recovery programme. The goalkeeper did a series of speed and strength exercises.

Zambrotta has thigh strain

Henry, Touré Yaya, Messi, Thuram and Edmílson all did recovery work in the gym. Also missing from La Masía were Márquez with Achilles tendon problems in his left heel; Eto’o with a bruised lower right shin; Xavi, with a fever; Deco, with permission from Frank Rijkaard to rest up; and Zambrotta with a minor strain in his right thigh. How the Italian’s injury evolves will determine whether he is available for the next match.

Gudjohnsen and Iniesta have also received treatment and went out onto the Camp Nou pitch to do some exercises with one of the first team fitness coaches.