Barcelona defender set to return vs Espanyol after resuming group training

Following the 4-0 hammering of Real Madrid last night, FC Barcelona will be on cloud nine, having destroyed their arch-rivals in their own backyard while creating a six-point gap at the top of the La Liga standings.

Up next for Hansi Flick’s merry brigade is the huge Catalan derby against RCD Espanyol and leading up to the match, Barcelona have welcomed more good news today.

Eric Garcia back in training

Indeed, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona defender Eric Garcia returned to group training today and will be available for selection against RCD Espanyol next Sunday.

Garcia has been absent for the last three matches due to an adductor issue which he picked up during warm-up right before the game against Sevilla last week.

Eric Garcia is set to return. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

As a result, not only did the versatile defender miss the clash against Los Nervionenses, but also sat out of the Bayern Munich and Real Madrid encounters.

However, Garcia, who spent the last season on loan at Girona, was back in training today and worked at the same pace and intensity as the rest of his teammates, who were substitutes for the Clasico on Saturday night.

As such, everything points towards the versatile centre-back’s return to the matchday squad for Sunday’s Catalan derby against Espanyol.

Prior to his injury, Garcia had featured in nine matches for Barcelona across all competitions, starting four of them, with most of his appearances coming in the defensive midfield role.

With Marc Casado absolutely thriving and the likes of Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Dani Olmo, and Fermin Lopez all back from their injuries, Garcia should, in all likelihood, return to his natural centre-back position when he makes his comeback.