Flick Pulls Six Players From Training to Protect Barcelona Exits

Hansi Flick is taking no chances with the Barcelona exits still to be completed this summer. Six players — Marc Casadó, Héctor Fort, Jofre Torrents, Tommy Marqués, Toni Fernández and Guille Fernández — trained away from the main group on Tuesday, Mundo Deportivo reports, as the club looks to shield its saleable players from injury before the window closes on 31 August.

The precaution follows Roony Bardghji’s ACL rupture in Monday’s session, the injury that scrapped the winger’s planned loan move. According to SPORT’s Carlos Monfort, the coaching staff has switched all six men onto individualised physical programmes so that no late setback can derail a departure the way Bardghji’s did.

Torrents is the most advanced case: his move to Ajax has been agreed for days and only paperwork is holding up the announcement. Casadó is weighing offers from Saudi Arabia alongside interest from several European clubs, while Fort has Premier League suitors including Fulham. Braga are waiting on an answer for Tommy Marqués, whom Barça would prefer to sell permanently, and La Masia youngsters Toni Fernández and Guille Fernández are in earlier-stage talks over their own departures.

Barcelona exits taking shape before Basel

While the leavers worked apart, there was better news in the main group: Jules Koundé trained with his teammates for the first time this pre-season, and Flick drafted in several Barça Atlètic youngsters to prepare Sunday’s friendly against Basel — the final warm-up before the Blaugrana’s first full season back at the Spotify Camp Nou gets under way.