Barcelona 24-year-old star in the final phase of his recovery from injury | OneFootball

On Sunday, FC Barcelona will lock horns with Elche, aiming to get back to winning ways in La Liga following their El Clasico defeat a week ago.

Leading up to the game, Hansi Flick has been greeted with mixed news on the injury front as Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo are set to return, while Pedri has been sidelined.

There is another positive, though, in terms of the progress being made by Joan Garcia.

Closing in on a return

Indeed, according to Guillem Borras Perez on Jijantes, Garcia has entered the final phase of his recovery and appears very close to making his return.

The 24-year-old goalkeeper has been working on the pitch for a few days now and did some individual exercises earlier today before tomorrow’s game against Elche.

Closing in on his return. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

However, at the moment, it is unlikely that he will be returning for this game. Instead, a comeback is likely to take place next week when Barcelona take on Celta Vigo away at Balaidos right before the international break.

Garcia had become the No. 1 starter in goal for Hansi Flick this season, ahead of Wojciech Szczesny and the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The former RCD Espanyol ace had already proven himself to be a shrewd piece of business with some impactful displays early on in the campaign before getting injured against Real Oviedo.

As such, his return in the coming days will be a welcome boost for Hansi Flick & co., as they enter a crucial phase of the season.