Football
ESPN staff 9y

Thomas Vermaelen return from injury welcomed by Barcelona coach

Thomas Vermaelen will be a great help to the Barcelona side in the season run-in after overcoming his fitness problems, according to coach Luis Enrique.

Vermaelen signed for Barcelona from Arsenal last summer for £15 million but has yet to feature for the club having struggled with a hamstring injury sustained at the 2014 World Cup with Belgium.

The centre-back was declared fully fit on Sunday having returned to first-team training and Luis Enrique has welcomed his availability.

He said: "It's great news. He arrived injured and has overcome his physical problems with hard work from everyone, particularly him.

"He'll fight for a place, he's got competition for his position and no doubt he'll help us."

Meanwhile, Luis Enrique is refusing to get complacent despite his side's position at the top of the Liga table.

Barca, who are two points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the standings, have five games remaining ahead of Tuesday night's clash with 13th-placed Getafe.

"Our calendar looks good from afar, but then you have to go out and play the game," Luis Enrique told his club's official website. "The five games left have their own challenges.

"The most important stretch is coming up."

Barcelona, 2-0 winners over city rivals Espanyol at the weekend, have lost just two of their 16 league games at the Nou Camp this season, while Getafe have lost their last two league games.

"The most important thing is that we have survived another week and we still depend on ourselves," Luis Enrique said. "At this stage of the campaign, it's all about the wins and points."

Real Madrid will go after a sixth consecutive win in La Liga when they host 16th-placed Almeria on Wednesday.

Carlo Ancelotti's Real won 4-2 at Celta Vigo last time out, with in-form Javier Hernandez scoring twice in that game.

^ Back to Top ^