The green light draws near: Flick set to regain his trump card before the Villarreal clash
After a painful absence
Barcelona fans have waited a long time for this. Dani Olmo is close to a return, with the Spain star's absence having hit Hansi Flick's plans hard in the biggest matches of the season.
The 28-year-old playmaker has been sidelined since Barcelona's Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain on 20 October, when an injury to his left adductor muscle forced him off. A long road of treatment and rehabilitation followed.
His absence dealt Barcelona a painful blow. Flick had to do without him against Real Madrid, Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid, games in which a player of Olmo's calibre could have made all the difference in the final third.
The mood has lifted in recent days, though. According to Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", the Catalan club have received good news, with the Spain international feeling much better and brimming with confidence over his readiness to return.
Recovering superbly, Olmo has outstripped expectations in his rehabilitation programme. The coaching staff reckon he could have been available had there been a game midweek.
Medical and technical staff now share a clear target: getting Olmo fit for medical clearance in time for the next league match against Villarreal on Sunday 22 November.
Olmo will use the current international break to reach peak physical condition, working through specific and intensive sessions ahead of his expected return. It could restore much of Barcelona's attacking punch at a decisive stage of the season.
