The ‘Los Angeles virus’ is history. The Barcelona squad trained this Monday at the mythical Memorial Stadium in Los Angeles no news of viral gastroenteritis that forced the club to cancel the match against Juventus, scheduled for last Saturday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Without a doubt, and paradoxically, it will be one of the memories that the tour will leave: a game that was not played. The 31 displaced to Los Angeles, with the particular cases of Iñigo, still in the process of readaptation due to his problems with the fascia of his right foot; and Balde, who has not yet been cleared, They were available for training.
Some players have seen the virus pass sideways because they have been able to exercise every day. Yesterday the club posted some photos of Gavi (one of the first affected by gastroenteritis in Barcelona), Raphinha, Balde or Pedri in an evening training session that confirm this. While those affected have had to stay in the hotel, the healthy ones have continued their preparation and have even allowed themselves the luxury of enjoying a day off in Los Angeles. Xavi left carte blanche last Sunday until dinner time. Some took advantage of it to shop, others tourism and some simply to rest.
“We are in Los Angeles, excited and ready for the game against Arsenal. We hope for your support”, the club posted a message from Ilkay Gündogan. Barça, who already lost the percentage of income from ticketing of the match against Juventushas insisted on the message that the game will be played to try to fill the stands of the SoFi Stadium this Wednesday in Los Angeles (4:30 p.m. from Wednesday to Thursday in Spain) and make some cash.
The match will also reveal the exact physical state the players are in, since those who have best saved the virus will have the most minutes. In fact, Barça had players available to face the match against Juventus, but it was Joan Laporta in the first person who stopped any option of giving the green light to prevent some footballers from playing more minutes than was appropriate and there would be a risk of injury with which, and never better said, the remedy would have been worse than the disease.
Xavi will also have to speed up his tactical tests, since he will only have four friendly matches, and all of them are major (Arsenal, Real Madrid, Milan and Tottenham).before the official season starts in Getafe on August 13 at 9:30 p.m.