Barcelona's hope to recover Ansu Fati's best form has taken a blow as the 21-year-old will miss the club's preseason tour due to injury.
"In Tuesday's training session, first team player Ansu Fati injured the sole of his right foot," Barcelona's statement said. "He will follow a conservative treatment plan in Barcelona and his return to training will be decided by his recovery."
MEDICAL NEWS | In Tuesday's training session, first team player Ansu Fati suffered a foot injury. He will undergo conservative treatment in Barcelona and his return to training will be determined by his recovery time. pic.twitter.com/jgQoC2PJAx
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 24, 2024
Fati's injury is reportedly plantar fasciitis which is described as " the inflammation of the plantar fascia, tissue in the foot used during walking and foot movement."
While not as serious an injury as the ones Fati has had prior, it is a tricky one when it comes to recovery time. It really depends on how it heals over time, meaning he could be out a couple of weeks or more than a month.
Plantar fasciitis, which Ansu Fati suffers from, is an injury with difficult prognosis. It's a slow recovery and depends a lot on feelings. It can be three weeks or more than a month and a half. A clear example was Iñigo Martínez last year. He spent almost two months without…
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) July 24, 2024
Ansu Fati was a player the coaching staff was playing close attention to, desigining a specific training plan in an attempt to help him recover that explosiveness that has been taken away on account of the injuries,
While this is a setback, it reportedly doesn't change Hansi Flick's plans with regards to Fati. Flick has been impressed with the young forward and the possibility that he sticks around at Barcelona remains.
Ansu sufrió un pisotón fuerte en un entreno. Desde entonces le molesta. Parece que le tocó un nervio.
— Toni Juanmartí (@tjuanmarti) July 24, 2024
Se confía que pueda volver en 3 semanas. Veremos si no se alarga.
Flick habló con él y le tranquilizó. Le dijo que esto no cambia el plan. No está descartado que Ansu se quede.
Still, it is a setback nonetheless. A setback for a player who has struggled with injuries since he burst onto the scene. For his sake and Barcelona's, the hope now is he recovers sooner than later.