Barcelona are set for a timely injury boost as Ousmane Dembele is reportedly close to making his comeback after his latest spell on the sidelines.
As noted by BBC Sport, the Catalan giants were rocked just over a fortnight ago as Luis Suarez underwent knee surgery and is expected to be ruled out for four months.
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With Dembele already sidelined, it has limited new coach Quique Setien’s options in the final third thus far, and so while it remains to be seen whether or not Barcelona decide to sign any players before the transfer deadline, the return of the Frenchman is going to be crucial.
That’s where the good news comes in, as Sport note that Dembele shared a post on his Instagram account showing him back with the football at his feet. Further and more importantly, it’s suggested that is he ‘very close to returning to the pitch’.
Although he’s been limited to just nine appearances so far this season, his ability to add a different dynamic in the final third with his pace and directness will be a welcome boost for Setien and Barcelona, while it will ultimately give them another option as they try to continue to compete across multiple fronts.
That will be a welcome relief for the likes of Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Ansu Fati too, and so while the report suggests that Dembele’s comeback is being geared towards being ready to face Napoli in the Champions League next month which is followed by a trip to Real Madrid, he’ll hope to start getting minutes under his belt in the coming weeks.