Ansu Fati graced his return in the Barcelona shirt on Sunday with a goal in the game against Levante. The attacker came in the final phase as a replacement for Luuk de Jong and only needed ten minutes to determine the final score at 3-0. He celebrated his goal with the club doctor, who assisted him during his rehabilitation.
Fati was part of the match selection for the first time. The eighteen-year-old attacker has been sidelined since November last year with a complicated knee injury. The Spanish international was operated on no fewer than three times and has now received the green light from the medical staff. Sunday he made his return; the attacker came in with a 2-0 lead. “It’s unbelievable,” Fati told Spanish media immediately afterwards. “I am very happy with the win. I want to thank all the doctors and physiotherapists who have helped me. In addition, and above all, I would like to thank the supporters and my family. I have received a lot of support over the past few months.”
Ansu Fati! ??
The super talent scores immediately on his return to Camp Nou ??
The attacker provides the final chord on behalf of Barcelona against Levante with the 3-0 ????#ZiggoSport #LaLiga #BarcaLevante pic.twitter.com/U8PLTBaHwO
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) September 26, 2021
Fati injured his knee in a home game against Real Betis on November 7 last year and had more than ten months to recover. A hard blow for both club and player, as he had an excellent start last season with five goals in ten matches. In total, the teenager’s counter now stands at 14 goals in 42 official matches against Barcelona. “Ansu’s return is great news,” emphasized Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman at the press conference on Saturday. “He will play at most fifteen minutes. We want him to recover well, we are not in a hurry and we do not want to overload him. Hopefully we can continue that plan,” said the coach.
With his goal, Fati is the first player other than Lionel Messi to score on behalf of Barcelona with shirt number 10 on his back since Ronaldinho on March 1, 2008 (4-2 loss to Atlético Madrid). “It is an honor to wear number 10 after Leo Messi,” said Fati, who wants to make more and more playing minutes in the coming weeks. “We have to see how it goes, but it is clear that I will have to earn my playing time.” On Wednesday, Fati may return to action when Barcelona face Benfica in the group stage of the Champions League in Lisbon.