The Barcelona coach, Luis Enrique,
has confirmed Luis Suárez will make his debut in Monday night’s friendly
against the Mexican side León. The Uruguay forward had been forced to train away
from his new team-mates after completing a £75m move to the Catalan club in
July, due to the four- month ban incurred for biting the Italy defender Giorgio
Chiellini at the World Cup.
However, he now has two group
sessions under his belt after the Court of Arbitration for Sport relaxed the
”excessive” elements of the suspension, and Enrique plans to hand the 27-year-
old some game time on Monday. “The impression is that he is a player of a very
high standard,” the Barcelona coach was quoted as saying at a press conference
on Sunday. “I know how we play and he fits how we play. I would like to give
him some minutes [on Monday]. He did a great job when he trained alone.” Suárez
failed in his appeal to have the entire suspension – covering ”all football- related
activity” – removed, but was permitted to train and play in friendlies for club
and country after the CAS ruled the punishment was overly harsh.
However, he will have to wait until the
weekend of 25 October to make his competitive debut – the weekend of the first
Clásico of the La Liga campaign against arch rivals Real Madrid at the
Bernabéu. Suárez will be presented in front of Barcelona fans at the Camp Nou
before Monday’s match, which could see him form a formidable front line
alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar. Neymar has been given medical clearance to
play after breaking a vertebra during the World Cup. Barcelona begin their
league season at home to Elche next Sunday.
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