Barcelona star Luis Suarez has insisted that he expects to return ahead of schedule in his recovery from knee surgery and will be available when La Liga resumes.
Football around the world is currently on hold as the coronavirus crisis continues to worsen, and after EURO 2020 was postponed, domestic leagues will seemingly have a chance to complete their campaigns deeper into the summer than initially scheduled.
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That of course depends on the virus and how the numbers are managed, but the break in football will give those currently injured a boost in their bid to recover and play a part in the remainder of the season.
Suarez is a prime example of that, with BBC Sport noting in January that he underwent a knee operation and was expected to be ruled out for up to four months.
Originally, that would have raised question marks over whether or not he’d play again this season, but now he has revealed that not only does the break mean he expects to be with his teammates when games resume, but he has made a positive recovery and is ahead of schedule.
“[My return] is within the possibilities that we’ve been managing and now there’s been a change, but the idea of returning early was clear,” Suarez told Referi, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo. “My doctor was telling me that I’ve been doing so well and that gave me hope of returning to play as soon as possible.
“The difference now is when the team returns, I’m going to be able to play.
“I’d been coping very well with the work that I’ve been asked to do and that gave me strength to come back sooner than predicted.”
Prior to his injury setback, the 33-year-old had bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in 23 appearances for the reigning La Liga champions, yet again playing a crucial role in leading the line and providing them with a real threat in the final third.
In his absence, Barcelona were forced to sign Martin Brathwaite outside of the transfer window to avoid being left short for the rest of the season, while Ousmane Dembele has also had his injury struggles.
Now though, they’ll be boosted by Suarez if he is back available for selection in May when games will hopefully take place, with the La Liga title and Champions League still up for grabs.