A Blow for Barcelona Before Valencia Clash

Barcelona have suffered an unexpected setback before their meeting with Valencia: Lamine Yamal missed the final training session and now faces a race to be fit for Sunday's match at Mestalla.

Yamal was seen arriving at the club's training complex on Saturday morning, but he did not train with his teammates and instead worked in the gym. His absence was not expected and has caused concern within Barcelona, according to Sport. Hansi Flick is expected to address the reason at his pre-match news conference.

The young winger has been one of the standout players in Barcelona's strong start under Flick. The team has taken nine points from its opening three matches, beating Elche, Athletic Bilbao and Rayo Vallecano. Barcelona will travel to Valencia on Saturday afternoon and Flick will assess Yamal's condition before deciding whether to include him in the squad.

Yamal was also selected as one of Barcelona's new captains after a vote among the players in the dressing room. Barcelona are aiming to maintain their perfect start and move alone to the top of the league by taking advantage of Real Madrid's setback.

The morning session brought better news on Gavi and Gabriel Jesus. Both joined full team training and could feature against Valencia. Gavi missed the last two matches after suffering a knee injury against Elche, while Gabriel Jesus is preparing for his first possible appearance in a Barcelona squad since joining the club. Iu Martinez and Peque also missed training, while Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji continue lengthy recoveries from knee injuries.