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FC Barcelona: Sergio Busquets trains ahead of Roma Match

By Laieke Abebe

(L-R) Sergio Busquets of FC Barcelona, coach Ernesto Valverde of FC Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 match between FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC at the Camp Nou stadium on March 14, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images)
(L-R) Sergio Busquets of FC Barcelona, coach Ernesto Valverde of FC Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 match between FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC at the Camp Nou stadium on March 14, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images) /
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Despite picking up a foot injury a few weeks ago, Sergio Busquets has returned to training for Barcelona ahead of their Champions League clash with Roma.

Despite being a doubt for this match, Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has returned to training ahead of schedule. The Spanish midfielder is expected to feature in Wednesday’s Champion League quarterfinal first leg against Roma at Camp Nou. Busquets returned to training at Sant Joan Despi and didn’t have any problems with his nagging foot during the session. Despite his status looking doubtful for this game, Barca will have a huge boost with Busquets on the pitch.

Busquets originally broke a bone in his foot against Chelsea in the second leg of their round of 16 tie. This ruled him out for three weeks, but with the progress he made, the midfielder was able to return early. This injury forced the 29-year-old to miss Spain’s international friendlies against Germany and Argentina last month. Busquets has played in all eight of Barca’s Champions League games this season.

In addition to the international matches, Busquets didn’t play against Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla in La Liga action. However, the Blaugrana has been able to remain unbeaten despite not having one of their biggest leaders. Barca was down 2-0 in the second half against a tough Sevilla team this past weekend. Lionel Messi entered off the bench (coming off a hamstring problem) and led Barca to an improbable draw.

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Messi missed two Argentina friendlies with that hamstring injury, but his masterclass helped the Blaugrana big time. With Busquets, he trained and showed no signs of pain after saving Barca in Seville. However, Lucas Digne is out for this week’s against Roma due to an injury he picked up while with the French national team.

Carles Alena and Ballou Tabla were among the Barca B players that got to take part in training with the first team. Outside of Digne, the fact that almost everyone will be available for the Champions League quarterfinals first leg is a positive sign. Ernesto Valverde needs everyone to be ready and focused. Roma is one of the most talented teams in Europe and they’ve been really good in the Champions League this season.

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Overall, Sergio Busquets being on the pitch helps Barca a lot. In the midfield, he continues to see the game beautifully and he’ll be needed for Barca to advance further in the Champions League. It will also help to have Messi healthy for the stretch run of the season. Both of them are very important to Barca’s success and with them in the team, the Blaugrana are very tough to beat.

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