From Ansu Fati to Ferran Torres, new attack

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Ansu Fati trains in Riyadh for Barcelona's game against Real Madrid.ALBERT GEA (REUTERS)

Before the sun rose in Barcelona on Tuesday, Pedri and Ferran Torres met in the Barcelona sports city to be taken to the airport, where President Joan Laporta was also waiting for them. They tested negative in the last PCR and could now fly to Riyadh to participate in the semifinal of the Super Cup. Good news for Xavi, since since Memphis was injured after the game against Bayern (seven games ago), he has not had an offensive line of guarantees, but it was an improvised attack with gratifying promotions from Abde and Jutglà, although far from what was planned in its day by the sports area. Among other things because Ansu was also broken and because Pedri had not put on his boots for too many months. In addition, Luuk De Jong did not carburet,no matter how much he has responded in the last stakes but he continues to express that his football squeaks with the idea of ​​touch and possession of Xavi. But all of them, including Ferran Torres, have been discharged. "This will be another Barcelona", resolves a Barça executive.

There were doubts with Pedri because he had 122 days and 24 games out. "He is ready to play, fully recovered muscularly," confirms a club worker, while revealing that had he not contracted covid, he would have already had a minute in the last league match. For the canary, squeezed last year, it has been a tedious process.

Doctors first misdiagnosed the left quadriceps injury, so when he returned against Benfica two weeks later, he saw the stars again. A setback that was magnified again, a few months later, before facing Espanyol because he relapsed from the injury, perhaps due to accelerating too much with the charges. But Dr. Pruna arrived - Xavi's demand - and the philosophy was changed because before, Pedri's return was encrypted in this or that game and now, simply, the deadlines are assessed each week calmly and without haste. "This break has made him work physically," they stand out surprised from the dressing room. More than anything because the club has given him a coach to do extra work and he has noticed it well: he has gained four kilos of muscle mass.A change that Xavi also appreciates and that has asked him to lead Barça in offensive creation upon his return.

"Araujo will make an effort"

Ansu Fati will be waiting for his passes, who has been 84 days and 16 games out this season —65 now adds up — after the injury to the left hamstring.

“It has been a little longer to recover and do prevention work, since the hamstring is complicated.

He needed to heal well and have the muscle ready ”, they say from their environment.

A recovery that has also been supervised by his trusted doctor, Joaquín Juan, the same one who, after undergoing knee surgery for the third time in the previous year, finally brought him to fruition.

But Ansu, unlike Pedri, has not had such a bad time, but is aware that being injured is part of his job.

"Although he would have liked to have a little more filming, he is there to play," says a club worker.

Nor has Ferran Torres had minutes since he was injured with Spain in the Nations League semi-final three months ago. "But he's dying to play and he's fine," they confirm from the footballer's inner circle. Memphis, Frenkie de Jong and Araujo also return with him, who intends to play after undergoing surgery a week ago for two broken fingers on his right hand. "Araujo will make an effort and Pedri and Ferran will have minutes," revealed Xavi, who now only has the casualties of Eric García, Sergi Roberto and Braithwaite.

Barça also has a lot of dynamite, which after losing Kun Agüero (he retired due to a heart problem) aspires to have an attack that intimidates Ansu, Memphis and Ferran, as well as Abde and Dembélé, who still do not renew as a Barça player. “They are players who are called to make a difference, although we will have to dose them. We arrive many times and it is difficult for us to generate and they are going to generate many more things ”, Xavi predicted. It all starts against Madrid. "He is our eternal rival, I always want to beat him and I hope we will do so now," Pedri said a few months ago, the day of his renewal. On this occasion, he, like Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres, will be able to help from the table.

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