Wednesday’s training session brought a big boost for FC Barcelona, as forward Raphinha, defensive midfielder Marc Bernal and central defender Andreas Christensen all took part in the session. While they all trained (at least partially) with the rest of the squad, it doesn’t mean that all three are fully match fit, and set to feature at Osasuna on Saturday. Bernal is the most likely to play, of the trio, as his ankle injury seems to have fully healed now.
Raphina (hamstring injury suffered on the most recent international break) will probably only play a smaller role, if he does feature, in Pamplona on the weekend.
FC Barcelona at Osasuna FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. May 2, 9pm, El Sadar, Pamplona, Spain
La Liga Standing, Form: Osasuna 9th, 42 pts, WDDLW FC Barcelona 1st, 85 pts, WWWWW
Google Result Probability: Osasuna 22% Draw 24% FC Barcelona 54%
Barca Team News
The Brazilian dynamo is likely to be minutes managed as the El Clasico draws near. As for Christensen, he’s recovering from an ACL injury, so he’ll be brought along slowly. Meanwhile Jules Kounde is suspended and Lamine Yamal is out injured for the rest of the season.
And about that El Clasico, the weekend after this coming one, it could be rendered less consequential by the time it kicks off. If Barca wins in Pamplona on Saturday, the La Liga title race is over unless Real Madrid win at Espanyol.
So while the race is essentially over already, it’s not official just yet.
How special would it be for the Catalan club to clinch it at their newly refurbished home, against ther arch-rivals on May 10.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.