Barcelona Rumors: Lionel Messi Successor Expected To Play In Next La Liga Game

Barcelona’s new no. 10 could be just days away from making his return to Camp Nou.

In the wake of Lionel Messi’s exit, Barcelona teased the return of sensational forward Ansu Fati.

Fati has recovered well and has been back in training. Hence, the youngster could finally make his first appearance since November 2020 when Barca takes on Granada at Camp Nou on Sept. 20, Spanish outlet Diario Sport reported.

Barcelona’s medical team isn’t only hopeful but also “expecting” Fati to be cleared and ready to play again on the said date, the report said.

Fati has been working with a physiologist while also taking part in first-team training, the report added.

Before summer, Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman admitted that the club has been longing to have Fati back and confirmed that the teenage prodigy is set to return “next season.”

"The most important thing is that he’s going to recover, he’s going to get well and that he’ll be with us,” Koeman said of Fati in May.

“It’s too bad that it’ll only be for next season,” he continued. “It’s important that we’re missing a player like him, but the most important thing is that he recovers well and returns to playing.”

Fati is among the Barcelona youngsters who have made an impact on the senior team. Prior to his knee injury last year, the 18-year-old was on a hot streak, having bagged a total of five goals in 10 matches across all competitions.

The remarkable series of performances prompted Barca to hand Fati the iconic no. 10 shirt, a number last worn by the club’s former superstar Messi.

Initially, Barcelona had decided to not let any player use the famous number as a tribute to the mark left by the Argentine. However, the La Liga rule stating that first-team players must wear numbers 1 to 25 made it impossible, ESPN reported.

Prior to acquiring the no. 10 shirt, Fati had long been the favorite to succeed Messi in Barcelona, a privilege the six-time Ballon d’Or winner himself has given him.

“I really like him and I try to help and support him,” Messi said of Fati in 2019. “I’d like them [Barcelona] to bring him on gradually, like they did with me when I started, taking things nice and easy and without putting pressure on him.”