FCBARCELONA.CAT

10.09.2009 20:00

Márquez given green light to play

www.fcbarcelona.cat

Rafa Márquez has been given the green light to start playing again four months after he last played in an official encounter.

The Mexican central defender has been training with the rest of the squad in recent days, but it was not until he came through Thursday evening’s session unscathed that the club’s medics announced that he could be chosen for the squad to face Getafe this weekend.

Four months out

On April 29, in the first leg of the Champions League semi final, when Barça drew 0-0 with Chelsea in Camp Nou, Márquez suffered a ruptured internal and external meniscus, an injury that ruled him out of the last few games of the campaign.

After his summer holidays, the former Monaco star returned and was reincorporated into the squad for the pre-season trip to London, but he did not take part in any of the games.

New injury

Márquez also travelled to the United States with the squad and played for 30 minutes in Barça’s victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy. But during a warm-up session before the game against the Seattle Sounders he felt some pain in his left calf muscle and was diagnosed with a slight tear.

Decisive games

Following his first injury Márquez missed the final of the Copa del Rey and the Champions League and the nock he sustained in the United States saw him miss the Spanish Super Cup final and the European Super Cup final.