Barcelona prepare to face Aston Villa without any injured players returning

Barcelona have completed their preparations for the Champions League clash against Aston Villa without recovering any injured players, leaving Hans Flick to continue facing a crisis of absences, particularly in defence.

According to "Mundo Deportivo", Danish defender Andreas Christensen did not participate in training despite progressing in his rehabilitation programme, as he has not fully recovered from a muscle injury in his left thigh.

Eric Garcia, Jules Koundé, Xavi Espasart, Dani Olmo, and Rony Bardji will also miss the match as they continue their rehabilitation programs away from the group.

These absences force Flek to rely on younger options, with Alex Campos, Guillem Victor, and Hamza Abdel Karim training with the team, and they are expected to join the matchday squad. Goalkeeper Iker Rodriguez also participated in the session, while Ibrahima Tonkara was absent and Aurélien Gourin was present.

Barcelona are looking to bounce back after their 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round, as they currently sit in eighth place with 6 points. A win would give them the chance to equal the tally of Aston Villa, who have won three times at the start of their campaign.