Ousmane Dembele ready to return for Barcelona against Celta Vigo

French forward has been on the sidelines since rupturing his hamstring against Getafe on September 16 but is in line for Copa del Rey return, club say

epa06402881 FC Barcelona's players Ousmane Dembele (R), Ivan Rakitic (C) and Lionel Messi take part in a training session of the team at the Joan Gamper sport facilities in Barcelona, northeastern Spain, on 22 December 2017. FC Barcelona will face Real Madrid in a Spanish Primera Division League's match on 23 December. EPA/Alejandro Garcia

Ousmane Dembele, right, has returned to Barcelona training after three weeks out with a thigh injury. Alejandro Garcia / EPA

Reuters
Jan 03, 2018
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Barcelona's record signing Ousmane Dembele is set to return from a long injury layoff in Thursday's Copa del Rey match against Celta Vigo, the club has said.

Dembele, who joined Barcelona for a €105 million (Dh464m) fee that could rise to €147 million, from Borussia Dortmund in August, made only three appearances for the Cataln side before rupturing his hamstring against Getafe on September 16.

The 20-year-old French forward, who had a surgery in Finland, returned to training in December and received his medical discharge on Tuesday.

Ernesto Valverde's Barcelona travel to Vigo for the first leg of their last-16 Copa del Rey tie before hosting the reverse fixture at Camp Nou next week.

They will also return to league action with a home game against Levante on Sunday.

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