Medical all clear for David Villa
The FC Barcelona’s forward will increase his work rate and physical conditioning in the team’s upcoming training sessions in order to be match fit as soon as possible. Doctors Cugat and Pruna note that “he’s doing very well medically, but he’s not in optimal physical condition yet”. Villa was injured last December, in the semifinals of the Club World Cup.
Barcelona (FCB).- David Villa was given the medical all clear this Tuesday. According to doctors Cugat and Pruna, the player, who’s still not fit enough to play, can now increase his work rate and concentrate on his physical conditioning. The doctors noted that “one thing is getting the medical all clear and another is to be physically ready to play.” The doctors estimate that the player still has a bit to go before he can compete on the pitch.
“He wasn’t given clearance to play, he’s training normally with his teammates but he still has work to do before he plays,” explained Pruna. Cugat added: “he’s been with the team for two weeks, he feels great and he’s asking for more. His recovery isn’t behind schedule. He’s followed a very normal plan, it’s not about rushing him.”
Tibia fracture in the Club World Cup
The striker fractured his tibia in the semifinals of the Club World Cup in Japan this December. Villa missed the second half of Barça’s season and the Euro championship with the Spanish national team.
Fontàs, Thiago and Cuenca
In the press conference after Marc Muniesa’s surgery, doctors Cugat and Pruna also talked about the other players on Barça’s injury list: Andreu Fontàs, Thiago Alcántara and Isaac Cuenca.
On Fontàs: “this Saturday is the six-month anniversary of his surgery, he’s trained 23 times with the team and he’s held up well. We have to conduct more tests on August 7th - it’s possible that he’ll have medical clearance to play before the mini-tour.”
On Thiago, they said: “he’s made an effort to rest these past two months, meaning he missed the Euro and the Olympics - that’s not easy for him to accept. His recovery is going according to plan. We conducted some tests today and we’ll have the results this afternoon. We’re in the final phase of his recovery, he should start running on the pitch by week’s end - he’ll be given the all clear to play soon. He’s nearly healed completely from his injury and now he has to get in shape after two months of inactivity.”
Finally, on Cuenca, the doctors said: “he’s recovering well but we can’t rush it. His external meniscus is getting stronger on a daily basis.”