Injury Update: Barcelona Winger Targeting A Return For EL Clasico On March 19
Barcelona superstar Ousmane Dembele had been in fine form when he was struck down by an injury during the La Liga encounter against Girona.
Ever since, there has been speculation about his potential return to action, with reports suggesting that the French international could be sidelined for five to six weeks.
Now, Javi Miguel of AS is reporting that Barcelona’s medical staff and Dembele himself are targeting a return for the Clasico against Real Madrid at Camp Nou which will take place on March 19.
It essentially means that Dembele will miss both legs of the UEFA Europa League playoffs against Manchester United which will be played over the next couple of weeks.
At the same time, the 25-year-old winger will also be out of the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Real Madrid, with this Clasico set to be played at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first week of March.
As per the report, the recovery plan for Dembele has been laid out clearly. The former Borussia Dortmund ace will continue undergoing physiotherapy for the next 15 days until his muscle injury heals fully.
From that point on, Dembele will carry out his rehabilitation on the field for another 15 days, increasing his training workload day by day so that he an be cleared to rejoin the rest of the squad.
Given the history of his injuries, Barcelona staff are wary of rushing Dembele back into action and want to proceed with caution.
The 25-year-old, thus, could miss as many as seven weeks of action. He has already sat out of matches against Real Betis and Sevilla.
He will now miss games versus Villarreal, Cadiz, Manchester United (both legs), Almeria, Real Madrid (CdR semi-final), Valencia and Athletic Club, before finally making his return against Los Blancos in the La Liga Clasico at Camp Nou.
