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Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has offered an exciting update on 18-year-old striker Ansu Fati who is very close to a return to first-team action after 10 months out with a knee injury.
Fati is back in full training and Koeman was asked at a pre-match press conference on Sunday when the teenager may be ready to return. The Dutchman made it clear fans do not have too much longer to wait to see Fati make his long-awaited comeback.
“Ansu is a really young player. He’s shown his great skills, he scored many goals at the start of last season,” he told reporters. “We don’t want to say one date but he is working hard, he’s training with the squad, so hopefully in one week or 10 days, more or less, he will be back. It’s very important for our team. We are talking about a great player.”
Koeman’s update means Fati will miss Barcelona’s next two La Liga games against Granada and Cadiz but suggests he could be fit for the visit of Levante to the Camp Nou on Sunday, September 26.
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Koeman Talks Coutinho & Aguero Progress
Fati’s return will be a huge boost to Barcelona, particularly with the Catalan giants short of options in attack due to to injuries. Sergio Aguero, Martin Braithwaite, and Ousmane Dembele remain sidelined, although Philippe Coutinho is back to full fitness.
Koeman spoke about the Brazilian’s chances of starting against Granada on Monday, September 20, and also offered an update on Aguero’s recovery from a calf injury.
“Kun is working on the pitch with physios, not with us and we can not yet confirm when he will be back,” he explained. “Coutinho he played some good minutes against Bayern. He needs more rhythm of course and we will decide if he can start or not. He cannot yet play 90 minutes, so we will decide what’s best.”
Coutinho appeared as a substitute in Barcelona’s 3-0 defeat to Bayern in the Champions League in what was his first appearance for the club for 259 days after a serious knee injury.
Can Barcelona Bounce Back?
Barcelona return to action on Monday against Granada needing to bounce back from the defeat to Bayern. The Catalans have yet to taste defeat in La Liga so far in 2021-22 but were beaten by Granada last season at the Camp Nou.
Granada have since changed managers, bringing in Robert Moreno to replace Diego Martinez, and Koeman offered his thoughts on his team’s next opponents.
“I don’t think they have changed a lot. Each manager has his ideas but they are a team with a clear system, 4-3-3, a strong team physically,” he said. “It will be a direct game, they look to press up front and it’s true that they have players with confidence from last year. We play at home, with the fans, and it cannot be compared to last season.
Koeman goes into the game amid mounting speculation about his future after the Bayern defeat and will know that anything less than a win will increase scrutiny on his position at the Camp Nou.
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