Barcelona boss Quique Setien has offered a positive update on the fitness of Luis Suarez as he continues his recover from a long-term injury.
As noted by BBC Sport, the 33-year-old was initially ruled out for four months after undergoing knee surgery in January, as he risked missing the majority, if not all, of the current campaign.
That would have been a major blow for the Catalan giants given he has bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in 23 appearances so far this season, but with the coronavirus pandemic pushing back the schedule, it has ensured he hasn’t missed as many games as expected.
With the Guardian noting that it’s hoped La Liga is able to restart the season in mid-June, Barcelona will no doubt be desperate to get Suarez back fully fit and available for the run-in as they continue to battle Real Madrid for the title, while they are still in contention for the Champions League too.
Setien has now offered an update on the Uruguayan stalwart after seeing him return to training with the rest of the squad this week, and for the most part, it sounds positive but naturally there will be caution given how long he’s been sidelined for.
“He is not fully recovered, but I think he is in good shape and has been working with the group for a few days. We note that he lacks some confidence and conditioning. When we start playing, we will see his preparation,” Setien said, as quoted by Sport.
The fact that Suarez is considered to be in good shape and hasn’t suffered any setbacks in training this week while working with the rest of the group is arguably a major boost in itself, but naturally Barcelona will be cautious with him moving forward as they won’t want to push him too hard.
Nevertheless, if he is back at Setien’s disposal next month onwards, it could have a huge influence on their chances of ending the season with two major trophies to show for their efforts.
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