Ernesto Valverde will have been delighted to see a number of first-team stars back in training on Friday ahead of the weekend’s La Liga action.

The Barcelona manager welcomed Rafinha back into the fold for the first time since April, with the Brazilian defender having been sidelined with a serious knee problem.

Ousmane Dembele also took part in the session as he works his way back from a hamstring injury, with the Frenchman easing into training earlier this week.

The duo were joined by Javier Mascherano, who has also missed a number of matches due to a hamstring problem of his own, and Andres Iniesta after the Spaniard picked up a knock against Sporting Lisbon.

While the quartet seemed fighting fit in the video released on the official Barcelona website, they are all unlikely to feature against Villarreal this weekend.

Take a look through the gallery above to see four key men in Barcelona training ahead of their clash with Villarreal.