Getty Ousmane Dembele warms up for Barcelona
Barcelona duo Sergio Aguero and Ousmane Dembele were both back in full training on Monday for the first time this season as they continue to recover from injury.
The Catalan giants showed both players working out at the training ground at the Ciutat Esportiva as they both close in on a long-awaited return to first-team action.
👋Welcome back @Dembouz & @aguerosergiokun!
Both started training for part of the session with the rest of the squad today 🤩
Aguero is still waiting to make his Barcelona debut following his summer move from Premier League champions Manchester City. The striker picked up a calf injury in pre-season that saw him miss the start of the 2021-22 season.
Dembele is also yet to feature in the new campaign due to a knee injury. The forward suffered the problem playing for France at Euro 2020 and was forced to undergo surgery in June.
The return of both players will be a big boost to the Catalan giants after a tough start to the season that has yielded just three wins in all competitions. Barca sit down in ninth place in the table in Spain and are in trouble in the Champions League after their first two group matches.
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Key Games Coming For Barcelona
Barcelona return to action after the current international break on October 17 with a La Liga fixture against Valencia at the Camp Nou. Ronald Koeman’s side then go on to play Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League three days later before welcoming Real Madrid to the Camp Nou on October 24.
Koeman, who remains under pressure after a disappointing start, has already admitted the team needs to win all three matches, as reported by Eurosport.
“Laporta called me last night and we were talking. At least there is clarity in this aspect. After the break there are three games we have to win,” he said. “Laporta’s support is important, if we don’t have everything clear; then it is difficult to have a peaceful mind and the patience to work. It’s the best for everyone, now like any coach we must demand results.”
The return of Dembele and Aguero will add to Koeman’s options in attack and should offer the Catalans more firepower. The Dutch coach can also count on Ansu Fati who has made a successful return from knee surgery and scored on his comeback after 10 months out in the 3-0 win over Levante.
Doubts Over Dembele’s Future
News of Dembele’s return to fitness comes amid increased speculation regarding his future at the Camp Nou. The Frenchman is out of contract at the end of the season and able to negotiate with other clubs from January 1.
Ferran Polo at Mundo Deportivo has reported Dembele has told president Joan Laporta he wants to stay, but club chiefs do not trust his agent and fear he may be talking to other clubs.
If Dembele does not agree a new contract he will be able to leave for free in the summer of 2022, and Manchester United, Juventus, Chelsea, and Liverpool have all expressed an interest in the 24-year-old, according to Lluis Miguelsanz at Diario Sport.
Barca will be keen to try and secure Dembele’s future as soon as possible, but if a deal cannot be agreed then it’s likely the Catalans will try to sell during the Janaury transfer window to avoid losing the attacker on a free transfer when his contract expires.
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