Gerard Piqué is clear that he cannot fail the team anymore. Since he seriously injured his right knee in late November he has barely been able to help the team. He was out for almost three months, returned to score the goal that meant extra time in the Cup semifinals against Sevilla, relapsing again. A month later, the Catalan center back is on the verge of returning, although this time Koeman is not in such a hurry. And is that there are still eight days until the game against Real Madrid and also the team has been feeling very good for a few weeks, coinciding with the bet of a defense of three centrals, where Mingueza, De Jong and Lenglet have been intractable.
Piqué did not rest this Friday, despite the fact that Koeman gave a party to the squad. The Catalan center-back spent almost two hours working in the Ciutat Esportiva, with the priority challenge of being one hundred percent facing the final stretch of the season, and with the match against Real Madrid in Valdebebas next Saturday April 10 marked in red on the calendar.
Who will not be with the team in the morning session this Saturday will be the youth squad Ilaix Moriba, who this Friday trained with a subsidiary. And it is that García Pimienta has asked Koeman for the transfer of the midfielder for the start of the second phase to promote to Second: the subsidiary opens its participation this Saturday against Alcoyano.
In any case, his participation with the subsidiary would not prevent him from entering the first team call-up against Valladolid this Monday, if Koeman deems it necessary. Of course, as long as he did not see a yellow, since the young player is warned of sanction.
By the way, in this Saturday's session, Koeman hopes to count the entire squad, including the rest of the internationals. On Thursday he already recovered Mingueza, Riqui Puig and Dest, and tomorrow ten more are expected to do so: Sergio Busquets, Pedri, Alba, Ter Stegen, De Jong, Dembélé, Griezmann, Pjanic, Braithwaite and Trincao.