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Barcelona offered a fresh update on Ansu Fati’s recovery from knee surgery on Monday and confirmed the 18-year-old has received further treatment on his injury.
The Catalan giants detailed Fati’s current progress with a statement on the club’s official website.
First team player Ansu Fati has undergone a regenerative biological treatment by Dr. Ramon Cugat under the supervision of the club’s medical services, with the evolution of his injury following a very satisfactory course.
Ansu was injured last November in the match against Betis, and was successfully operated on for the injury to the internal meniscus of his left knee by Dr. Cugat. This season, the young Barça striker has played 10 games: 7 in the league and 3 in the Champions League, totalling 596 minutes in which he has scored five goals and provided two assists.
Fati has been out injured since the start of November, and there’s still no definitive timeframe as to when the teenager will return to action. Coach Ronald Koeman has said he is hopeful Fati could return for the second leg of Barcelona’s Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain in March.
Yet the latest news suggest Fati could return even sooner, according to Javier Miguel at AS. The teenager’s recovery time may now be cut by a few weeks and could see him resume by the middle of February.
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Koeman Wants to Strengthen Barca Attack
There’s no doubt Fati has been missed by Barca since being forced on to the sidelines by knee surgery. The 18-year-old started the season strongly, scoring five goals in his first six games for Barcelona.
🏆 @ANSUFATI is the #LaLigaSantander Player of the Month for September! 💙🔝❤️
Barca hardly lack for attacking options with Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, and Martin Braithwaite in the squad but have been guilty of missing chances and failing to kill games off this season.
Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen admitted after Barcelona’s narrow 1-0 win over bottom side Huesca on Sunday that his team must improve in that regard.
❝We did very well … I think we have to improve … but we won the game, which is very important, and we move forward.❞
— @mterstegen1 on the 1-0 win over Huesca
Meanwhile, Koeman admitted again after the full-time whistle that he wants to bring in a forward in January if finances allow, as reported by Sport.
There’s no need to repeat what we said at the start of the season, that we need someone up front to have more competition, more goals and more efficiency, but it depends on a lot of things.
The transfer window is now open in Spain until the end of the month, but Barca are in a difficult financial situation and will also hold presidential elections on January 24. Any signings may have to wait until a new president is installed.
Memphis Depay Still a Target
Lyon forward Memphis Depay remains a target for Barcelona. The Catalan giants tried, and failed, to land the Netherlands international in the summer transfer window. Depay has admitted the deal was “nearly done” before the move collapsed, as reported by The Independent.
The 26-year-old remains on Barca’s wanted list, along with Eric Garcia and Georginio Wijnaldum, but Barca are more likely to try and sign the trio in the summer when they will be free agents, according to Sky Sports.
Koeman may therefore have to make do with what he’s got for the rest of the 2020-21 season. The Barca boss does have Ousmane Dembele fit again, while the return of Fati from a long lay-off may well feel like a new signing.
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