Squad announced for Rayo Vallecano

La Liga is back and Barça go into yet another three-game week. Rayo Vallecano are the opposition at 8.45pm on Saturday night, and Ernesto Valverde has named the 18 players that will be joining him on the trip to Madrid.

Here’s the list:

Ter Stegen, Semedo, Piqué, Rakitic, Sergio Busquets, Coutinho, Arthur, Luis Suárez, Dembélé, Rafinha, Cillessen, Lenglet, Jordi Alba, Munir, Sergi Roberto, Vidal, Aleñá and Chumi.

That means no places for Denis Suárez or Malcom, while Messi, Samper, Umtiti and Vermaelen are out with injuries.

Last session

The players trained for the last time before the Rayo fixture on Friday morning, with the happy sight of both Leo Messi and Samuel Umtiti once again on the training field as they get closer and closer to full fitness.

Centre back Chumi, the Barça B youngster who made his first team debut in the cup game at Cultural Leonesa midweek, was also involved in the workout and has once again been included in the squad as cover for the missing regulars in defence.