Injured Barcelona mainstay closing in on a return after positive progress in recovery | OneFootball

The past few days have been a mixed bag for FC Barcelona in terms of injury news, as they lost Pedri to a thigh issue while welcoming Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo back to group training.

The likes of Gavi, Raphinha, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and Andreas Christensen still remain unavailable for Hansi Flick, but there has been another positive development for the Blaugrana in recent days.

Joan Garcia inching closer to a comeback

Indeed, according to SPORT, Flick is on the verge of recovering his starting goalkeeper, as Joan Garcia has made a full recovery from a tear in the internal meniscus of his left knee and is once again training on the pitch.

The 24-year-old summer signing has taken part in the last four on-field sessions, though without overexerting himself.

Barcelona are very pleased with his progress, and his medical clearance is expected soon.

Very close to making a comeback. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Not only have the medical tests produced positive results, but Garcia himself is feeling good. As a result, it cannot be ruled out that he could return even before the international break, for the upcoming matches against Elche, Club Brugge, and Celta Vigo.

If Flick and the Barcelona medical staff opt for caution, Garcia’s comeback could be delayed until after the international break. But, as things stand, he is already close to being available.

Barcelona confident of Garcia impact

Within Barcelona, there is strong confidence that Garcia will once again make a decisive impact once he returns to guard the goal.

Before his injury, the summer signing from Espanyol had conceded only five goals in seven matches and kept three clean sheets – against Mallorca, Valencia, and Getafe.

Wojciech Szczesny has proven himself to be a dependable backup, but Garcia’s return will come as a major boost for Flick & co.