Dembele back in training as Barcelona give date for comeback
The French forward is closing in on a return to first team football
It's a big week for Ousmane Dembele's recovery. After tests in Finland ruled he was fit to step up his training regime, he was back working alongside his Barcelona teammates on Monday. He only took part in part of the session but it's another step towards returning to competitive football.
Despite the good news, the club don't want to take any risks and will wait for the medical team's green light. Therefore, the idea is that Dembele doesn't feature against Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday but he could get some minutes in Saturday's home fixture against Alaves. If everything goes well in training this week and the sensations are good, he could play.
It would just be a few minutes off the bench to start to get some match fitness and some rhythm in his legs. As was the case with Ansu Fati -- and still is -- the club don't want to rush things, especially given Dembele's injury history. Minutes against Alaves could be followed with more against Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League.
It's good news for Ronald Koeman, who could have the winger available as Barça look to bounce back from a tough start to the campaign. The Dutchman has also recovered Ansu and Sergio Aguero in recent weeks. Now the priority is tying Dembele down to a new deal. His contract is up next June.
