Exodus at Barcelona after the weekend's La Liga action

Exodus at Barcelona after the weekend’s La Liga action

International football is back. When the week ends, most of Barcelona’s players will depart to play for their national teams. It’s the first break of the season but also the last ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

The Joan Gamper training ground will be virtually empty bar just six players for Xavi to work with.

There will be fewer sessions and more youth players used to fill them out.

The six players not called up are all Spanish – Inaki Pena, Hector Bellerin, Gerard Pique, Marcos Alonso, Sergi Roberto and Ansu Fati. Only Ansu and Alonso really have a chance of going to Qatar.

The ones who are away are six Spaniards: Eric Garcia, Jordi Alba, Busquets, Gavi, Pedri and Ferran Torres, while Spain U21 are calling up Balde and Arnau Tebas.

With France, Ousmane Dembele is back after a year out, along with Kounde. With Holland, De Jong and Memphis are going.

Completing the exodus is Ter Stegen with Germany, Araujo with Uruguay, Christensen with Denmark, Kessie with the Ivory Coast, Lewandowski with Poland and Raphinha with Brazil.

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