The first team trained behind closed doors at 18.00 on Tuesday for the last time before the trip south to face league leaders Valencia on Wednesday night. All 18 of the currently fit players will be making the journey.

The only missing names are those of Alexis and Iniesta, who are still on recovery programmes, and Piqué, who is now training normally with the rest of the squad, but has not been given medical clearance yet.

Travel plan

On Wednesday, the team will assemble at the Camp Nou at 10.15, from where they will be transferred to El Prat Airport for a flight to Valencia at 11.00. It lands at 11.55, whereupon the squad will rest at a hotel until a coach comes to collect them for a transfer to Mestalla.

Once the game is over, the Barça players will be catching a return flight at 1.15 and will touch down in Barcelona at 2.00 in the morning.