Barcelona boss Xavi has said that Ansu Fati is closing in on a return to first-team action.
The 19-year-old has recently been back in training for the Catalan giants after recovering from the hamstring problem that he picked up against Athletic Bilbao towards the start of the year.
Fati has not yet been deemed ready to make his return, though, with the Spain international again left out of the squad for Thursday's Europa League quarter-final second leg with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Speaking ahead of the clash with the German outfit, Xavi said that the club are refusing to 'put pressure' on the youngster, but he is now on the verge of making his return to the field.
"We will not pressure him to return. Everything depends on his feelings, but it is good to see him train with the team. He is close to returning to full team participation," Xavi told reporters.
A recent report claimed that the teenager was planning to be involved against Cadiz this weekend, but it remains to be seen whether he is named in the squad for that particular contest.
Fati, who missed around nine months with a serious knee injury before returning to action last September, has scored 18 goals and registered six assists in 53 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions.
Matt Law
