PSG VS BARCA - PICTURES

PSG Vs Barcelona Extended Highlights

Messi vs Ronaldo

David villa medically all clear

 
Doctors Cugat and Pruna note that "he's doing very well medically, but he's not in optimal physical condition"

David Villa was given the medical all clear this Tuesday. According to doctors Cugar and Pruna, the player, who’s still not fit enough to play, can now increase his work rate and concentrate on his physical conditioning. The doctors noted that “one thing is getting the medical all clear and another is to be physically ready to play.” The doctors estimate that the player still has a bit to go before he can compete on the pitch.

“He wasn’t given clearance to play, he’s training normally with his teammates but he still has work to do before he plays,” explained Pruna. Cugat added: “he’s been with the team for two weeks, he feels great and he’s asking for more. His recovery isn’t behind schedule. He’s followed a very normal plan, it’s not about rushing him.”

Tibia fracture in the Club World Cup

The striker fractured his tibia in the semifinals of the Club World Cup in Japan this December. Villa missed the second half of Barça’s season and the Euro championship with the Spanish national team.

Fontàs, Thiago and Cuenca

In the press conference after Marc Muniesa’s surgery, doctors Cugat and Pruna also talked about the other players on Barça’s injury list: Andreu Fontàs, Thiago Alcántara and Isaac Cuenca.

On the center back: “this Saturday is the six-month anniversary of his surgery, he’s trained 23 times with the team and he’s held up well. We have to conduct more tests on August 7 - it’s possible that he’ll have medical clearance to play before the the mini-tour.”

On Thiago, they said: “he’s made an effort to rest these past two months, meaning he missed the Euro and the Olympics - that’s not easy for him to accept. His recovery is going according to plan. We conducted some tests today and we’ll have the results this afternoon. We’re in the final phase of his recovery, he should start running on the pitch by week’s end - he’ll be given the all clear to play soon. He’s nearly healed completely from his injury and now he has to get in shape after two months of inactivity.”

Finally, on Cuenca, the doctors said: “he’s recovering well but we can’t rush it. His external meniscus is getting stronger on a daily basis.”

Vilanova hails Messi

 
Vilanova told the club's official website: "When you have the world's best player, who has this capacity to score goals, he usually marks the difference. He proved it once again.

"We were warned of Raja's quality after watching their match against Athletic Bilbao, but we were ready when we came into the match.

"The young players also always deliver and they played at a very high level."
One man who didn't feature was David Villa as he continues his recovery from a broken fibia suffered in December, but Vilanova believes he is making progress.

"We're talking about a serious and long injury," he said.

"When he's ready to play, we'll welcome him with open arms. He's made a lot of progress in the last month."

FC Barcelona Pre-Season Trainning Session

Blater urges footballers to follow the example of Lionel Messi

 

In an interview with ONS, the FIFA president said: "I think it is a pity that certain players are not here

"The former German player and coach Jurgen Klinsmann wrote in his book that he was a world champion, a European champion and an Olympic bronze medallist , and the most wonderful souvenir he had was that bronze medal.

"Everyone should embrace the spirit and play in the Games if they want to. The problem is that the national associations are not making the right contacts with the clubs.

"I think the players themselves would like to come.

"They should do what Lionel Messi did in Beijing in 2008. He made a stand with (his club) Barcelona and they allowed him to go to the Olympics. He won a gold medal. He was a champion.

"For 2012 and 2016 our congress made a decision that all players under 23 must be released but the national associations do not put pressure on the clubs. If they don’t we have no powers to free the players.

"The Olympics has something special for football. Those players who are here should stay in the Olympic Village. They stay in their own hotels and that is not in the Olympic spirit.

"But on the other hand football has taken the Olympics to the rest of the country — to Coventry, Newcastle, Manchester, Cardiff and Glasgow — and that is good for the spirit of the Games."

He said: "Football has always been a big and important part of the Olympics.

"Now with the Olympics having come to London, I feel that football has come home.

"Last time we had a big competition here was the world cup in 1966. England was so eager to get the world cup in 2006 and 2018 but was not able to get it.