Barcelona goalkeeper Juan Garcia will be available for Saturday’s match against Athletic Bilbao after recovering from his injury.
The former Espanyol goalkeeper has been sidelined since late September with a knee cartilage injury that required surgery.
Despite attempts to get Garcia ready for last month’s El Clásico, Barcelona opted to wait until he was fully recovered to avoid aggravating the injury and potentially extending his absence.
According to AS, Garcia has recently participated in Barcelona’s group training sessions and appears to be in excellent condition. Barring any setbacks, he is expected to start in goal for Barça against Bilbao.
The return of Garcia is of great importance to Barcelona, as it became clear that goalkeeper Szczesny was underperforming, conceding 17 goals in 9 matches. The Spanish goalkeeper, Garcia, maintained an 83% save percentage (19 saves out of 24 shots) compared to Szczesny’s 64% (24 saves out of 42 shots).
Barcelona currently sits second in La Liga, three points behind leaders Real Madrid. With Garcia’s return, coach Hansi Flick has a crucial asset back in the squad, which will help, at least partially, address the team’s recent defensive woes.
