Captain Carles Puyol is back after a very long wait since January 23, the day after the 3-0 win against Racing Santander that started the second half of last season. Puyol was substituted at half time and shortly after it was revealed that he had suffered tendinopathy in his left knee.

Exemplary behaviour

And so began a slow recovery process. His huge commitment to the team meant that he was still there for the big games last season. Against all odds, he was back in time for April 16’s game at the Bernabéu that was so important in Barça’s retention of the Liga title.

He was on the field for 58 minutes. Then an isquiotibial injury meant he missed the Cup Final. But the defender was in the side for the Champions League semi finals on May 3, playing at left back as cover for the absent Abidal, Adriano and Maxwell. The last time we saw Carles Puyol in action was in the Wembley final. In an amazing gesture of companionship, he turned down the honour of lifting the Champions League trophy and asked Éric Abidal to do so instead.

Operated on June 1

Once the season was over he returned to the operating theatre. On June 1 he was submitted to arthroscopy to remove cartilage from his femoral trochlea. Three months and eight days later and his recovery programme is complete and Puyol is back in the team. The long wait is over.