Ousmane Dembele Close To Returning From Injury; Not Fully Ruled Out Of Athletic Clash

As Barcelona continue their march towards the La Liga title, they face their next hurdle in the form of Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic Club at San Mames on Sunday night.

And, ahead of the game, manager Xavi Hernandez could be handed a double injury boost. Reports yesterday suggested that Robert Lewandowski could be in line to make a comeback from his injury against the Basque outfit.

Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele is closing in on a return from his injury as well and is not completely ruled out of the contest against Athletic Club later this week.

The 25-year-old Frenchman has been out of action since late January when he suffered a thigh injury during the La Liga game against Girona. His absence has been felt by the Blaugrana who have lacked that bit of spark and ingenuity in the final third of the pitch.

But, as per the report, Dembele’s recovery is in the final phase and he is expected to be fully fit for the Clasico against Real Madrid on March 19. Furthermore, it adds that his involvement for this weekend’s contest against Athletic Club is not entirely ruled out either.

This claim seems to contradict reports from RAC1 yesterday which claimed that Dembele was unlikely to be ready in time to face Los Leones.

But it seems like the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner could still make it in time for the game. However, Xavi & co. are wary of taking any risks with Dembele’s recovery given his past tryst with injuries and will likely make a call based on the player’s feeling as well as that of the medical department.

While Lewandowski and Dembele could be in line to make a comeback from injury this Sunday, Pedri is unlikely to return for the game. Meanwhile, Ronald Araujo will also miss the trip to San Mames due to suspension after his sending-off against Valencia.