Ousmane Dembele Targets Return to 1st-Team Training at Barcelona in 2 Weeks

Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele has revealed he is set to return to first-team training in two weeks' time.

The 20-year-old arrived at the Camp Nou for an initial fee of €105 million, but he made just three appearances for the club before being ruled out for up to four months with a thigh injury.

He told Canal+ (h/t Goal's Robin Bairner): "In two weeks, I'll start working with the squad again. Has my care programme accelerated my recovery? Yeah, I'd say so. I've worked every day—even holidays and every Sunday to regain my fitness."

Football writer Rafael Hernandez suggested Dembele's lack of work in pre-season could have contributed to the issue:

He has been out of action since having required surgery. Barcelona recently shared an update of his recovery:

It's hardly the ideal start to his Barca career after he arrived as Neymar's replacement.

Dembele had a superb campaign for Borussia Dortmund last season, racking up 10 goals and 21 assists in all competitions, and a similar impact at Barcelona would enhance their title prospects even further.

Barcelona's lead over Real Madrid in La Liga was cut to eight points after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Valencia on Sunday.

If Dembele's recovery continues as planned, he could feature against Los Blancos on December 23 when the pair go head-to-head for the first time this season.