Barça include Rodri and Baldé in squad for Athletic

Barcelona have included Rodri and Baldé in the squad selected for Athletic. The announcement gives Rodri a place in the group despite his current club being Manchester City, making his presence the central detail of the selection.

Rodri is a 30-year-old Spain international who plays in defensive midfield. His recorded career path began with Villarreal’s under-19 team before he moved to Villarreal CF B in the 2015-16 season. He then joined Villarreal’s first team in 2016-17, transferred to Atlético in 2018-19 for €20 million and moved from Atlético to Manchester City in 2019-20 for €70 million.

The midfielder’s listed market value is €55 million with Manchester City. His recorded injury history includes groin and hamstring injuries. No information is provided here on whether those previous problems affect his availability for Athletic, and no match result, league position or recent-form figures are available to assess the wider sporting impact of the squad announcement.

For now, the confirmed change is the composition of Barcelona’s group for Athletic: Rodri and Baldé are included, while Rodri remains identified as a Manchester City player in the supplied club data. The announcement does not provide further details about his status beyond his inclusion.