FC Barcelona received a positive boost ahead of their match against Real Betis on Saturday, as Brazilian Raphinha returned to team training alongside Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, according to the Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo."
FC Barcelona returned to training today following their 4-1 victory over Galatasaray in the second round of the UEFA Champions League, preparing for their match against Real Betis at Estadio La Cartuja.
Raphinha has joined the group for the first time since his injury with Brazil on September 29, after suffering swelling in the back of his right thigh during the match against Australia. The player missed the matches against Getafe and Galatasaray, and had been training individually until Thursday.
Frenkie de Jong has been training normally with his teammates for over a week, but he is still waiting for medical clearance to return to matches after suffering an injury during the FIFA World Cup with the Netherlands. Coach Hans Flick has expressed hope that he can include him in the squad for the match against Real Betis.
The Spanish newspaper reported that Flick will decide on the players' situation in coordination with the medical staff and the players themselves, to determine the possibility of relying on them against Real Betis, whether to include both in the squad, just one of them, or exclude them both.
Except for Andreas Christensen and Rony, the rest of the FC Barcelona players trained normally, awaiting the final decision on Raphinha and De Jong's readiness for the upcoming match.
