Getty
Ousmane Dembele may be back in the Barcelona squad for the first time in nine months but he has not been getting an easy ride from his team-mates.
The French forward has been captured getting the runaround from midfielder Frenkie de Jong while preparing for Barcelona’s Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon.
Dembele is known for his flair and dribbling ability, but De Jong shows he’s got a few moves of his won:
Follow the Heavy on Barcelona Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Dembele Ready to End Injury Nightmare?
Yet the presence of Dembele in the Barcelona squad is a boost for the Catalan giants against Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. The 23-year-old has not featured at all in 2020, and his last appearance came back in November against Borussia Dortmund.
Dembele was on his way back from injury when he suffered a torn hamstring in training in February that ruled him out of action for a further six months. The injury is the latest in a succession of problems that have plagued the forward since he joined Barca in 2017.
However, Dembele is now back to full fitness and has been given the green light to feature in the match by the Catalan giants.
LATEST NEWS | 🚦@Dembouz gets the green light! 🟢💨
Manager Quique Setien spoke about Dembele in his pre-match press conference and suggested he could see some game time against Bayern on Friday.
“I think everyone will be pleased he’s able to be here and be in the squad. Obviously he’s going to be able to play and might be able to play a few minutes if the opportunity arises.
“It’s been nearly a year without being able to participate, but we have the possibility of him playing a few minutes and doing well.”
Dembele is only likely to be used as a late substitute if necessary, and it’s asking a lot to expect him to make an impact in a crucial match after such a lengthy absence. However, his return to first-team action will be warmly welcomed after a miserable time out injured.
De Jong to Shine Again?
Meanwhile, De Jong looks certain to start the game in midfield, and Barcelona will be hoping he can continue the fine form he showed last time out against Napoli in the last-16.
De Jong stepped up to the plate with Sergio Busquets and Arturo Vidal missing through suspension and delivered one of his strongest performances of the season at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona will need a similar performance from De Jong and the rest of the team if they are to knock out Bayern. The German giants are hoping to land the treble this season and have looked unbeatable in the Champions League so far in 2019-20.
READ NEXT: Barcelona Told Bayern Have a ‘Messi Stopper’ for UCL Tie