Barcelona midfielder set to miss Athletic Club clash after missing final training session

Barcelona 's final preparations for their La Liga meeting with Athletic Club brought contrasting news from the training ground, with Gavi working away from the group while Rodri continued his return to full first-team activity.

According to Mundo Deportivo , Barcelona completed another session on Wednesday as Hansi Flick's side prepared for their league debut at the Spotify Camp Nou.

Gavi was the notable absentee from the main group, with the midfielder continuing to recover after suffering a contusion.

His absence makes his involvement against Athletic Club highly unlikely, even though Flick offered a reassuring update on the player's condition ahead of the match.

Gavi unlikely to feature against Athletic Club

Gavi has become one of the main concerns for Flick in the build-up to Thursday's game after failing to train with his teammates.

The Barcelona midfielder worked separately as the coaching staff continued to manage his recovery.

Gavi did not train with the group. (Photo by Francisco Macia/Getty Images)

While the situation does not appear to be serious , the lack of group training so close to the match means he is unlikely to be involved against Athletic Club.

Flick had already sought to calm concerns when discussing the midfielder's fitness.

"He's fine. I think he's doing much better than he was after the match, and from the footage you can see it wasn't that serious.

The coach's assessment suggests that Barcelona are unlikely to take any unnecessary risks with Gavi, particularly at this early stage of the season.

While Gavi's situation remains a concern, Barcelona received more encouraging news regarding Rodri.

Rodri will make his Barcelona debut vs Athletic Club. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

The summer signing completed another full training session with the first-team group, continuing the process of reintegration after returning to normal team activities in recent sessions.

Rodri now appears ready to make his long-awaited Barcelona debut.

Flick has confirmed that the midfielder is part of the plan for the Athletic Club match, although his involvement is expected to be limited.

"Yes, the plan is for him to play for a few minutes."

Those minutes could give Barcelona fans their first opportunity to see the club's blockbuster signing in competitive action.