FC Barcelona had to start their 2024-25 season without several players because of injuries. Important players like Ronald Araujo, Frenkie de Jong, and Gavi were unavailable even for the first game of the season as they were recovering from the injuries they had suffered in the last season or during the summer.
Ansu Fati, who had returned to the Blaugrana club after his year-long loan at the Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion, was another player who got injured during the pre-season. Thus, he was unable to impress the new Barcelona coach.
The Spaniard was expected to return to availability after the September international break, and he also completed two training sessions with the rest of the team. However, he was not a part of the squad that the club announced for the game against Girona.
As Mundo Deportivo has reported, Hansi Flick provided an update on his situation as he addressed the press ahead of the match against Girona. The German tactician gave a clear idea of when the club was expecting Fati to return to full fitness:
“We are happy to have him [Fati] with us again. In the coming weeks, he will have opportunities, and that’s good for the team. Gavi is also participating in training, and it’s great to have both of them available. In Ansu’s case, we are focusing on Thursday.”
Thus, Fati can make his 2024-25 debut for Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League opener against Monaco. The forward has recovered well from the plantar fasciitis he suffered in his right foot during the pre-season, and thus missed out on the tour of the USA.
Despite not being a part of the pre-season, Fati can be an important player for Flick as a dense schedule awaits his side in the upcoming few months.
