Speaking on Catalan radio station Catalunya Radio on Wednesday, Sala Martin denied accusations club president Joan Laporta had failed to address perceived unprofessional behaviour among certain squad members, adding that players who were not pulling their weight were purposefully being kept away from the rest of the group.

"It's unfair to say that Laporta isn't doing anything," he said.

"You just have to look at those players who don't work, who are doing nothing, who haven't played for weeks, who have been apart from the group for weeks.

"All this is being disguised as injuries or whatever, but these people have been separated and there is an attempt to isolate them from the group."

Sala Martin's comments have immediately been interpreted in the Spanish press as references to Brazil forward Ronaldinho.

The 28-year-old has started only 13 of a possible 31 league games this season and is currently sidelined with a thigh injury which will rule him out for the next six weeks.

He last played in the 2-1 defeat at home to Villarreal on March 9, after complaining of thigh pains despite the fact a scan carried out by the club on March 18 showed no sign of the injury.

Sala Martin refused to name those individuals he felt were being isolated, but felt it was naive to label the entire squad as unprofessional due to the actions of one or two individuals.

He said: "It's unfair that because of one, two or three players who seem to take a holiday every day and who only turn up to 22 training sessions out of 60, that now we're all saying that the Barca players are on strike.

"Not all players stop working once they starting getting money and women. Even those who are now on strike still worked when they got money and women."