Former La Masia talent pushing to be ready for La Liga clash against Barcelona | OneFootball

It has been almost five years since former Barcelona academy talent Abel Ruiz left the club in favour of a move to Braga.

The attacker joined the Portuguese outfit in 2020 for a fee of around €8 million. Since then, he has found immense success, notably scoring 38 goals for Braga, which earned him a move to Girona last summer.

Abel Ruiz determined to face his former club

According to Mundo Deportivo, Abel Ruiz is looking forward to the prospect of playing against his old club Barcelona, though he is facing a race against time to be fit for the encounter.

The Valencian striker has been sidelined since February 8 due to an injury he sustained during Girona’s defeat against Athletic Club.

Initially believed to be a minor setback, the injury has taken longer than expected to heal, forcing him to miss key matches, including Girona’s clash with Real Madrid.

Abel Ruiz is desperate to return to action against Barcelona (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

His absence has coincided with a difficult phase for Míchel’s team, as Girona have struggled to maintain their early-season form. However, Ruiz is determined to return for the match against his former club.

Ruiz did play against Barcelona in the return fixture in September, but his side had to digest a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Flick’s men.

Now determined to make things right, Ruiz is ready to prove himself fitness-wise and get ready for the Barcelona clash, which will take place on Sunday.

It will be the second of seven home matches Barcelona will play during the club’s 11 remaining league matches this season.

That is perhaps why Ruiz is even keener on becoming available for this tie, as he looks to play in front of Barcelona’s fans once again, having last done so in late 2019 – his only senior appearance for the Blaugrana.