FC Barcelona may be set welcome a lot more than the new year in the coming weeks. Promising young striker Ansu Fati has been spotted back in training, and hopes are high that he will be able to rejoin the squad in the crucial second half of the current campaign.

Fati himself is eager to return, after having already spent a year on the sidelines due to an injury he suffered in the middle of the 2020-21 campaign. He had been playing well before he was forced out of competition by a knee injury. The teenager then returned briefly in 2021, with a mountain of expectations resting on his number 10 shirt, which he inherited from Lionel Messi.

His first few games back were promising, but he picked up a hamstring injury that has again kept him out since early November.

With Sergio Aguero's retirement, Xavi Hernandez is eager to get the striker back on the lineup, but the club knows that they need to be cautious moving forward. After the injuries suffered over the past 18 months, the last thing they need is a premature comeback and another injury setback.

Fati is already training with the first team, along with a number of players who have recovered from Covid-19.

According to Football Espana, Fati may be back in action within the coming week, giving Xavi's squad a big boost. New signing Ferran Torres is still recovering from a foot injury, and the club is still unable to register him with La Liga. As such, Fati's return will be very much appreciated.

On top of that, Pedri is also back in training but Xavi has also been taking it slow when it comes to reintroducing him to competitive action, along with Memphis Depay. Meanwhile, Dani Alves is still awaiting his second debut for Barcelona, with it having been delayed by Covid-19.

Ansu Fati
Ansu Fati (R) failed to make an impact in El Clasico AFP / LLUIS GENE
Barcelona FC