Barcelona head coach Xavi reportedly did not include Frenkie de Jong in his squad for El Clasico after the midfielder reported 'ankle discomfort' on Saturday morning.
The Netherlands international trained with the Catalan outfit on Friday in the hope of being involved in Saturday afternoon's La Liga clash with division leaders Real Madrid.
Xavi delayed announcing his squad for El Clasico until the morning of the match, as he wanted to see how the players attempting to return responded to the training session.
Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Raphinha were all named in the squad, with the trio starting on the bench, but there was no sign of De Jong in the list.
© Reuters
According to journalist Ferran Correas, Xavi had been hopeful that De Jong would be able to feature on the bench, but it was ultimately decided that no risks should have taken.
Correas claims that the Dutchman revealed on Saturday morning that he had 'slight discomfort' in the ankle that was recently injured.
De Jong has been on the sidelines since the end of September due to the issue, and he will now be absent for a fifth league game in a row.
Pedri has also not made it for El Clasico despite training on Friday, with the Catalan outfit not taking any risks when it comes to the Spaniard, who has been carrying a thigh issue, while Sergi Roberto is unavailable for selection due to a calf problem.
Xavi said during his press conference on Friday afternoon that he was surprised by the number of players who were able to return to training at the end of last week.
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"I was surprised too (about the returns to training), players that we were ruling out want to be there, they feel better and we'll see how they are tomorrow," Xavi told reporters.
Barcelona have another four matches before the season breaks again for more international football.
The reigning La Liga champions will follow Saturday's game against Real Madrid with a trip to Real Sociedad in the league before taking on Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.
Barcelona will then welcome Alaves on November 12 before the two-week break, with the team finishing next month with games against Rayo Vallecano and Porto in the league and Champions League respectively.
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