Luis Suarez Confirms Early Return Will Coincide With FC Barcelona’s To Action

Injured at the turn of 2020, during FC Barcelona’s Spanish Super Sup semi-final defeat to Atletico Madrid in Jeddah, Luis Suarez has never been seen on a soccer pitch again. 

Ernesto Valverde given his marching orders a few days later, there has been a change of coach in Quique Setien since then too, as well as a similarly debilitating knock to winger Ousmane Dembele.

Above all, however, the outbreak of COVID-19 has subsequently postponed all play in Europe. 

La Liga earmarked for an April 4 restart, a fortnight from now, this seems unlikely given that there have been 5,000 new coronavirus cases in Spain over the past 24 hours making it now the third most affected country in the world after Italy and China. 

Initially ruled out until May and Weeks 36-38 of the Spanish top flight, Suarez’s remarkable progress already saw him tipped to lace his boots up again in mid-to-late-April, in essence making him a new signing for the Blaugrana. 

And now, in a brief interview with Referi, the sports section of national newspaper El Observador in his homeland Uruguay, the striker has confirmed that his early comeback will coincide with Barça’s resumption of its domestic and continental activities.

“It is within the possibilities [we had] that we managed [to get to this point] and now there was a change [to the footballing calendar through the pandemic]. But the idea was clear to return sooner than expected,” Suarez began. 

“The doctor had told me that it [his recovery] was going very well and that gave me hope of playing again as soon as possible. The difference now is that when the team returns, I will be able to be there [with them],” he guaranteed.

“It was scheduled for the beginning of May,” he said of his knee operation. “But after the meetings that I had with the doctors and due to the evolution that I was having, I got ahead of schedule.”

On having to complete the final phases of his turnaround in isolation, Suarez explained: “I did the whole process with [Barcelona physiotherapist] Juanjo Bra and we are in full contact through messages about the work I have to do daily. We have to adapt to the machines and options I have at home to at least keep my quadriceps [working], which is the most important thing in this recovery stage.”

A known family man, Suarez concluded that the lockdown people living in Spain are currently experiencing has brought things into perspective. 

“You have to take precautions and be realistic that people are not waiting to see a soccer game. They are waiting to be able to go out on the street, enjoy themselves without fear, go to a park with their children, [and] enjoy life again,” he stated.

Be that as it may, soccer fans are in anticipation of seeing him alongside Lionel Messi once more and much earlier than anticipated, in what comes as a huge boost to Setien and his men.