Eight Barça B players with the first team

A total of eight Barça B players will take part in the first team’s training regiment this week. It’s fairly common for a large number of reserve-side players to start the preseason with the first team, and it allows the first-team managers to acclimate the Barça B players to the first team if they’re needed later on in the season. For this first week of training, Tito Vilanova called up Sergi Gómez, Sergi Roberto, Ilie, Carles Planas, Rafinha, Oier, Kiko Femenía and Cristian Lobato from the B side to take part in the first team’s training regiment.

Experienced players

All of the players have participated with FC Barcelona’s senior side at some point. Some of them have participated in first-team preseasons from past years, like Sergi Roberto and Sergi Gómez, both of whom have seen first-team action for that past two consecutive years. These two players, and Rafinha, are the only three Barça B players to feature in official matches with the first team, while the other five have yet to make their senior side debut.

Barça B, training with 13 players

With the eight reserve players training with the first team this week, Barça B have been reduced to a 13-man squad - it’s worth noting that Gerard Deulofeu and Alejandro Grimaldo are still on vacation after the U19 Euro championship in Estonia. Eusebio Sacristán, moreover, cannot call up any Juvenil A players (U18), seeing that the youth team won’t start its preseason until next week.

The Azulgrana reserve side returns to work today after having Monday off. After a small tour in Navata, Eusebio’s team will train at the Ciutat Esportiva this week before departing for UK to play preseason friendlies against Huddersfield Town and Bolton (August 8 and 10, respectively).

Here’s a participation overview of the eight Barça B players during the 2011/12 season:

Sergi Gómez
20 years old
Defender
21 games played
1,688 minutes

Sergi Roberto
20 years old
Midfielder
28 games played
2,352 minutes

Ilie Sánchez
21 years old
Midfielder
Injured

Carles Planas
21 years old
Defender
32 games played
2,444 minutes

Rafinha
19 years old
Midfielder
39 games played
3,272 minutes

Kiko Femenía
21 years old
Forward
30 games played
1,755 minutes

Cristian Lobato
23 years old
Forward
31 games played
2,125 minutes

Oier Olazábal
22 years old
Keeper
23 games played
2,070 minutes