Abidal nears Barca return

23 January 2013 11:55

Eric Abidal is expected to get the all-clear to return to first team duty with Barcelona next month following his liver transplant.

The French defender resumed regular training in December after a lengthy spell on the sidelines and is now set to make his comeback in the coming weeks.

"Abidal will receive the medical all-clear in the first half of February and will be a Barcelona player again," Juan Carlos Garcia Valdecasas, the doctor treating Abidal, told Cadena SER.

"Eric is keen to play games again, and it now all depends on Barcelona's selection criteria rather than on his medical condition.

"His attitude has played a big role in his recovery. He really has an extraordinary and very positive attitude."

Abidal last featured for Barca in February 2012.