Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann has been getting excited about the return to fitness of teammate Ansu Fati who is close to making a comeback after almost 12 months on the sidelines.
Fati has returned to training ahead of the start of the 2021-22 La Liga season and has been hanging out with Griezmann at the Ciutat Esportiva. Griezmann shared a video of Fati at the training ground on Instagram and can be heard shouting, “My idol, my idol, there is little left, yes!”
😍🗣 Griezmann a Ansu Fati: “Queda poco, siiiii”. #FCBlive #FCBarcelona
The 18-year-old’s return will provide Barca with a much-needed boost, particularly in the wake of Lionel Messi’s departure and with Sergio Aguero ruled out for 10 weeks through injury.
It’s thought Fati could make his first appearance for Barcelona since November 2020 in September. Javier Miguel at AS reports the teenager could be available for Barcelona’s trip to Sevilla in La Liga on September 12.
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Can Griezmann Step Up?
Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Griezmann at the start of the season as Barcelona head into a new campaign without Messi in the squad for the first time in 17 seasons.
Griezmann was linked with a Barcelona exit this summer, as a way of keeping Messi, but remains and will be expected to step up and lead the attack in the absence of the Argentina international.
Coach Ronald Koeman has already tipped Griezmann to shine in Messi’s position in the new campaign, as reported by Metro.
“Despite the farewell to Leo Messi, we are very excited about this new season. With the squad we have, the signings we have made and also young people have come up, which is always the future of this great club,” he said. “We are convinced that we will give you many joys this season. With a lot of help, a lot of sacrifice and a very good job we will achieve the maximum. We know what it is to be from Barca and what this club represents. It is important to have the best, but we don’t change our ideas or the way we play either. Griezmann has played in his position and he has done well.”
Griezmann & Memphis To Shine
Koeman is expected to start the season with Griezmann, Memphis Depay, and Martin Braithwaite in attack. Fati will be hoping to force his way into the team once he returns to full fitness.
Ousmane Dembele and Aguero are also options, once the duo are back in action after injury, while youngster Yusuf Demir is also a possibility after shining for the Catalan giants in pre-season.
Memphis has also put in some strong performance ahead of the new campaign, scoring three times, and has talked up his relationship with Griezmann in an interview with TV3.
“Yes, in the last two games he has often looked for me between the lines. He looks for me when I do a run and I also try to look for him myself,” he said. “He is a player with great quality, with great technical quality, intelligent qualities. You can see that sometimes we have a good connection.”
Barca’s first game of 2021-22 is on Sunday at the Camp Nou against Real Sociedad.
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Griezmann Gets Excited About Ansu Fati’s Barcelona Return [WATCH]