In a positive update for Barcelona, defender Hector Bellerin is set to be available for the upcoming game against Villarreal, having recovered from his injury.
This claim comes from SPORT, who report that the 27-year-old full-back has been back in team training with the rest of the group since Monday.
Bellerin picked up an injury in training in the last week of September and has missed all the matches that Barça played after the international break.
As the likes of Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo also faced time out on the sidelines, manager Xavi Hernandez was forced to utilise young Alejandro Balde as a makeshift right-back in a few games, while relying on Sergi Roberto in a few matches.
Kounde returned to action this past weekend, starting as the centre-back against Real Madrid. With Araujo still unavailable and Gerard Pique struggling, the Frenchman is likely to continue at the heart of the Barcelona defence.
That is why Bellerin’s return from injury comes as a big boost as Xavi will have a natural right-back to call upon in the upcoming matches against Villarreal and Athletic Club.
Re-signed by Barcelona this past summer, the former La Masia defender has only played two times so far this term, clocking up a total of 121 minutes only. But that could change in the coming weeks as the Catalans deal with a busy schedule right before the World Cup.
The report states that Bellerin is unlikely to start for Barcelona against Villarreal. But the possibility of him getting some minutes on the field is not entirely ruled out. The manager could also decide not to rush him and save him for the weekend match versus Athletic.