FC Barcelona's roadmap with the return of Ansu Fati

Since suffering plantar fasciitis on July 24, Ansu Fati has been working with trainers and physiotherapists to return to the pitch as soon as possible. The striker's goal is to earn a place in the team managed by Hansi Flick, which is why he did not want to listen to any offers during the transfer market. His greatest desire is to succeed at FC Barcelona, ​​leaving behind what happened in previous years and returning to the level he showed in his first stage as a culé.

However, his recovery process has been handled with extreme caution. Although the Blaugrana club shared images of the footballer on the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper pitch, the player has not yet trained with his teammates. The technical staff, together with the medical services, have designed a specific plan for him outside the rest of the squad, so his return to training could occur in a couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, the newspaper 'SPORT' had a chat with podiatrist Alejandro Bayo, who analysed the risks and aspects to be taken into account in Fati's injury. "Without knowing Ansu's specific case in depth, I think it was caught in time because in a month of returning to the field it could have been a momentary inflammatory process, which has been controlled, they have stopped his load, they will have done anti-inflammatory therapy, rehabilitation. And now he is already in the process of again giving load to the fascia in the best possible and progressive way," he commented.

The specialist assured that his evolution will depend on the inflammation of the tissue. "If it is an inflammatory process without more, with a thickening of the fascia that is not severe, in principle with the appropriate therapy in a month or a month and a half he can play. We do not know exactly how that tissue is, if it is a tendon that already bothered at the time. Now with Ansu already on the field it is time to modulate the load with physio and rehabilitation and I understand that his plantar biomechanics has been reviewed," he explained.

Is there a risk of a relapse?

Regarding the existence of possible future damage, Bajo assured that "there should not be a relapse if things are done well. There should not be a reason for it, although plantar fasciitis, when it gives warning, can have relapses, in the short or medium term," adding that the key to his full recovery is "preventive biomechanical control. For me it is essential with all available means to eliminate any factor that could induce that fascia not to work well." In this way, it is clear that Ansu's return to the first team must be handled very carefully, but there is optimism in this regard and it is expected that the forward will soon return to the team.