Good news with Fermín López: he will be available for the start of the league season!

FC Barcelona

The schedule lines up with the debut against Athletic, set for mid-August, although the club does not plan to take any risks with his return.

The injury occurred on May 17, in the match against the Betis, after a stray blow that ultimately ruled Fermín out of the World Cup. Two days later, he underwent surgery at the Hospital de Barcelona, and the FC Barcelona then avoided setting a specific date for his comeback: “The recovery time will be decided based on how things evolve”. Unofficially, the estimated recovery period was around three months, based on similar cases.

A very measured tune-up

After the emotional blow of missing the World Cup, Fermín began a recovery driven by daily work. He has gone through demanding gym sessions, exercises in the pool, and plenty of patience before taking the step back to running. The entire process is supervised by the physiotherapist José Cortés, in permanent contact with doctor Ricard Pruna, who is responsible for Barça's medical services.

The date of his first league match, initially set for the 16th of August, almost matches that three-month window from the surgery. If Barça has many players in the final rounds of the World Cup, his league debut could be delayed by a week. In any case, Fermín will not force his return, although the progress is encouraging.

During this period, he has also been seen in El Campillo, his hometown in Huelva, accompanied by his loved ones as he recharges his energy. Even his vacation with his partner, Berta, has been shaped by a recovery that remains his priority. On social media, he posted a message while he was still walking with crutches: “The suffering you face now is not comparable to the glory that is coming”.

Luis de la Fuente had Fermín down for an important role as a false left winger, a position that at the World Cup was filled by Gavi and Álex Baena in the wake of the injury suffered by a pure winger like Nico Williams. In Barça terms, the main news is that Hansi Flick can recover a key piece for the start of a season that the player will take on with special motivation.