Ansu Fati received a warm welcome back at Barcelona training on Tuesday as the 18-year-old finally got to work alongside his teammates at the Ciutat Esportiva once again.
The striker has been plagued by knee trouble and has not featured for the Catalan giants since November 2020. Fati has been working away from the team but was back on Tuesday as he closes in on a return to action.
Catalunya Radio showed Fati being given a warm slap on the back from coach Ronald Koeman before he was greeted by the rest of the squad There was also a hug from Antoine Griezmann afterwards and time for a chat with his old friend Eric Garcia.
Barcelona also shared highlights of the session and showed Fati finally getting back to what he does best out on the training pitch.
Fati is expected to be available for selection after the first international break of the 2021-22 season in September. Barca plays its final game before the break on Sunday at home to Getafe and will then resume against Sevilla on September 12.
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Former Barcelona Coach Talks Ansu Return
The return of Fati will be eagerly anticipated by fans and players alike at Barcelona. The youngster is one of the club’s brightest talents and made history for Barca and Spain with his goals when he first burst onto the scene in 2019.
Former youth coach Franc Artiga has warned Barcelona to be careful with Fati’s return, given he has been out for 10 months, but thinks the youngster can provide some much-needed joy in the wake of Lionel Messi’s departure, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
“Maybe he comes back better, because muscularly I have seen him much more done than he was before he injured himself. The most important thing is the ‘timing’, that he returns when he is 100% and mentally prepared, without fear of relapse,” he said. “All players will be given the opportunity to become important and take center stage. With Ansu we can be hopeful but we have to be patient.”
Fati will certainly add another dimension to the Barcelona attack and provide Koeman with more competition in attack. The Dutchman has started with a front three of Memphis Depay, Antoine Griezmann, and Martin Braithwaite so far in 2021-22 and also has Ousmane Dembele and Sergio Aguero still to come back from injury.
Ilaix Moriba Sends Ansu Message
The Barcelona striker also received a welcome back message from close friend Ilaix Moriba. The midfielder did not take part in Tuesday’s session as he’s been demoted to the reserves amid a contract dispute with the club.
Yet Moriba and Fati came through the academy together and the midfielder still took time to post a message on Instagram stories welcoming Fati back to training at Barcelona, as shown by reporter Gerard Romero. He wrote, “Very happy to see you already in the field brother.”
The chances of the two youngsters playing together for the Barcelona first team now appear slim. According to Sport, Barca will not let Moriba leave for less than €2o million. If an acceptable bid does not arrive he will spend the final year of his contract training with the reserves and will not be used in any matchday squads.
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