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Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has offered an update on his knee injury and some insight into how his recovery is going. The center-back has been sidelined since hobbling out of Barcelona’s 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in November.
Pique is not expected to return for several months but said he is feeling good and waiting to see if he will be able to step up his recovery soon, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
The defender explained, “I feel fine, but we have to wait for the next steps to know if the knee is stable or not. For now, I feel very good, strong, and I hope to return soon.”
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Pique Offers Verdict on Barcelona vs PSG
There has been speculation Pique could be fit in time to play in Barcelona’s Champions League last-16 second leg against Paris Saint-Germain in March.
The two teams have been drawn together in Europe’s top competition with the winner set to progress to the quarter-finals. Pique offered his verdict on the tie that will see Barcelona come up against former star Neymar for the first time since his departure for the Ligue 1 side.
The tie against PSG will be very tough, I know Neymar well. The tie will be in two months and things can happen, but the important thing is that it will be a great spectacle for the fans.
It’s certainly been a disappointing start to the season for Barca, although Ronald Koeman’s men have shown signs of improvement in wins over Levante and Real Sociedad.
Barcelona meet PSG in the first leg at their own Camp Nou stadium on February 16 and then head over to Paris for the return leg almost a month later on March 10.
Backing for Mingueza and Araujo
Barca and Ronald Koeman have turned to youth in Pique’s absence with 21-year-old center-backs Ronald Araujo and Oscar Mingueza both enjoying game time for Koeman’s men.
The duo started Barca’s 2-1 win over Real Sociedad on Wednesday, with experienced France international Clement Lenglet dropping to the bench. Pique offered his view on the duo explaining, “They are two of the players that interest me in the game, because they are players who have a great future.”
Barca will certainly be hoping the youngsters can go on and have a big future at the Camp Nou. Pique will turn 34 in February and is edging closer to retirement even though he signed a contract extension in October that runs until June 2024.
The Catalan giants also remain linked with a move for former defender Eric Garcia. The 19-year-old center-back is out of contract at Premier League side Manchester City and could sign for Barca in January, according to Sport’s Lluis Miguelsanz.
Garcia is a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy but left the club in 2018 for Manchester. Coach Pep Guardiola announced at the start of the season that the defender has turned down a contract extension at the Etihad Stadium.
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Barcelona’s Gerard Pique Offers Update on Knee Injury