Barcelona attacker racing back to fitness and should be available for league opener

Barcelona attacker racing back to fitness and should be available for league opener Fermin Lopez endured one of the most difficult moments of his career last May, when an untimely injury ruled him out of the World Cup. But the Barcelona midfielder is now making rapid strides in his recovery and is on course to be fit for the start of the new season. According to Diario AS , Fermin is progressing impressively following surgery on his foot, and the club are confident he will be available when the La Liga campaign gets underway. The injury itself came as a cruel blow to the 22-year-old. Fermin suffered a fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot in an unfortunate incident, an issue that required surgery and ultimately ended his hopes of featuring at the World Cup. Fermin Lopez is recovering rapidly. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) The attacker was left in a state of shock and needed considerable time to come to terms with missing out on the tournament, a chance he had worked so hard to earn. Ahead of schedule Almost two months on from the injury, however, the mood is far more positive. Fermin has spent the past week carrying out specific work on the pitch, all under the close supervision of physiotherapist Jose Cortes, who has overseen his rehabilitation from the very beginning. The midfielder is said to be recovering at lightning speed , and while he will not be ready to join his teammates when they report for training on July 13, the hope is that he will link up with the group within a couple of weeks. Encouragingly, Fermin’s recovery plan even includes travelling with the squad to their pre-season camp in England, where he could feature for a few minutes in the friendly against Birmingham on July 31st. On track for the opener Perhaps most significantly, Barcelona are confident that Hansi Flick will have Fermin available for the official start of the campaign. Fermin Lopez missed the World Cup due to injury. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) With the opening matchday having been pushed back by a week, Fermin’s return is now expected to coincide with Barcelona’s first fixture against Elche on the weekend of August 22-23. By that point, three months will have passed since the injury, a period the club consider more than sufficient for a full recovery. The news will come as a major relief to both Fermin and Flick. The midfielder established himself as an increasingly important figure last season, offering energy, goals and versatility from midfield. His return to full fitness gives the German coach another valuable option as Barcelona look to defend their La Liga crown. After the heartbreak of missing the World Cup, Fermin will be determined to make up for lost time.