The uncertain path of Ansu Fati in Barcelona and the national team

“GPS data tells us a lot of things.

But not even with all the technology in the world would we be able to measure the emotional state.

Ansu's case is special."

The statement comes from one of the offices in the noble area of ​​the Camp Nou.

The physical, but also mental, recovery of

is one of the most complicated challenges facing a Barcelona that does not lose hope in making him a structural footballer.

Ansu has not even reached his twenties -he will do so on October 31-, but such was his irruption in the world of football that waiting and prudence, at times, become unbearable.

Some of the actors involved in the striker's return to the elite maintain that, in his case, there is no better remedy than time.

Precisely, one of the worst enemies of an industry that does not usually wait for anyone.

Ansu returns today to the Giuseppe Meazza in Milan, a field that exudes both heat and epic, and where in his day he showed that he was special.

On December 10, 2019, he took the field for

in minute 85 and with the score at 1-1.

In just one minute, he sought the wall with

's Inter from the tournament

.

The goal allowed him to break the record for scoring precocity in the Champions League at 17 years and 40 days, thus surpassing

(17 years and 195 days).

But Ansu's time, which then seemed in his hands, stopped in his legs.

First in his left knee (November 7, 2020 in a match against Betis), for which he was operated on up to four times and which sentenced him to an 11-month loss.

Later, in the femoral biceps of the left thigh (November 6, 2021), an injury from which he recovered without undergoing surgery.

Conditioned by previous experience, he never wanted to know anything about an operating room again.

The healing of the tendon, thus, was more difficult.

In fact, and according to specialists in this type of rupture, the fact of opting for a conservative treatment usually increases the risk of relapse up to 34%.

Management of minutes and efforts

Hence the extreme prudence in the management of minutes and efforts of the attacker by

, in permanent contact with the medical department (

), the physical trainers (

) and the physiotherapists (

).

Although his knee is in perfect condition, the biceps femoris, key in explosiveness and speed, still keeps him away from the peaks that made him a differential footballer both in overflow and at the start of actions.

The fatigue in the muscle is still growing and remains under strict control, and the player himself is in the process of relearning how to maximize his efforts, especially in the repetition of sprints.

And there counts both the reliability of the muscle and the emotional conviction.

Ansu, in fact, has not played a full match since his injury at Balaídos in November 2021. Since then, he has only been able to start twice: last September 7 against Viktoria Plzen and the last visit to Mallorca, where he played 67 minutes, his zenith this season.

«I saw Ansu at an extraordinary level.

Dribbling, daring, facing, going to space...», Xavi cried out in statements with a clear psychological objective.

Ansu, despite starting the play against

that led to

's goal -a feint that did not force him to accelerate-, only attempted the overflow twice (with 50% success).

He didn't shoot on goal.

After

ruled him out in the last selection window, Ansu, disgusted, began to convince himself that his chances of going to the World Cup are increasingly reduced.

He surprised how direct, and above all raw, the coach was: «That he is not a starter in his team tells me something.

To this day I do not see it for the list ».

Facing an Inter in crisis -defeated in three of their last four games in Serie A-, without

or

and with

between cottons, Ansu should wait his turn in Milan.

The starting point of a luminous path, and where now only mist can be seen.

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