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"Barcelona," plagued by injuries, continues its preparation for the Spanish championship match against Bilbao's "Athletic." It is already clear that some of the most important players will definitely not help the Catalans in the upcoming match at San Mames stadium on Sunday evening. Lionel Messi is sidelined until the end of the year and this week he went to Argentina to continue his rehabilitation. Also missing from the game this year is the main team goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Defender Jordi Alba is not yet ready to step onto the field, and several players have been recovering from minor injuries recently. Two Barcelona players did not finish Saturday's training. Carles Puyol injured his knee, while Dani Alves did not complete all the scheduled tasks and left team practice earlier than expected. Last week, the club's medical staff found a minor muscle tear in the right thigh of the Brazilian defender. As a result, the defender missed the match against "Granada" and the Champions League match in Amsterdam against "Ajax." Gerardo Martino plans to announce the preliminary team lineup on the eve of the match against "Athletic," so it is not yet clear whether C. Puyol and D. Alves will be able to play against the Basques. Young academy forward Adama Traore is training with the main team and is expected to travel to Bilbao."
