Barça 2020-21 started this Monday without the most universal face of its squad. Not only the best known, but also the oldest. Fifteen years later, since the 2004-05 season in which he still played with the subsidiary's number 30 (he already made the tour in 2003-04) Messi has not been on the first day of work of the Barcelona club. Koeman led a session in which the players worked individually but in which the absences stood out.
Up to 18 players with a current contract are not under Koeman's orders this Monday. Sergio Busquets and Ansu joined the Luis Enrique Selection this Monday; De Jong, to Holland, Griezmann and Lenglet, to France; Semedo and Trincao will play for Portugal; and Braithwaite goes with Denmark. In addition, Iñaki Peña, Riqui Puig, Miranda, Aleñá and Pedri have been called up by the Under-21. Ter Stegen has just been operated, Coutinho is on vacation and Umtiti and Pjanic, affected by Covid-19. The 18th player who will not attend the first training session is the most universal of all, Lionel Messi.
The Dutch coach started with 13 players of the first team of those who only the top four or five are guaranteed their place at Barça 2020-21: Neto, Piqué, Alba, Sergi Roberto, Dembélé, Todibo, Wague, Júnior, Rafinha, Arturo Vidal, Matheus, Oriol Busquets and Luis Suárez. Six players from the subsidiary (Arnau Tenas, Akieme, Jorge Cuenca, Monchu, Ilaix and Konrad) will also start the work, which in this first week will be individual and will be distributed across the fields of the Ciutat Esportiva.
For the Dutchman, the first training sessions They will only be important in the physical part that, by the way, has a lot to improve after periods of little effort in daily work. Koeman will have to wait to build the team and put his stamp on it. Only after the Messi and Suárez cases are resolved, the players return from the national team break, and Coutinho and Pjanic join the group, will he begin to consider what form he gives to a 2020-21 Barça that is a blank sheet .