Valencia continues preparations for the match against Barcelona, with two players absent from Thursday's training session at the Paterna Sports City. Rioja missed training with the team for the second consecutive day, making his availability doubtful, and goalkeeper Van der Ven also did not participate in the session.

With only two training sessions left before facing the Catalan team, Rioja's situation is particularly concerning. The winger started Valencia's last match as a right wing-back, and his absence would pose a challenge for the coaching staff.

On the other hand, Foulquier continues the final stages of his recovery. The defender is still working to return to full fitness as soon as possible but has not yet rejoined the team's normal training rhythm.

Maffeo in Good Form

The positive news from this training session came from Maffeo. The full-back trained normally and continues to prepare for this important match against Barcelona.

With only two training sessions remaining, Valencia will closely monitor Rioja's recovery and assess whether he can be fit in time for one of the toughest matches of the season.

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