Thomas Vermaelen could be included in Barcelona squad

Thomas Vermaelen could be included in Luis Enrique’s match day squad when Barcelona take on Getafe tomorrow at the Camp Nou.

On Sunday, after weeks of conflicting reports, club doctors finally declared the Belgian defender fit to play and the belief is the centre-back will be included in the team on Tuesday.

A statement on the club’s official website reads: “Vermaelen was given the medical all-clear following Sunday morning’s workout at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.”

“Vermaelen is back, which is great news and his teammates welcomed him with a big round of applause because they know what it is like to be injured,” manager Luis Enrique added.

“There is competition for his position and I am sure he will be able to help us. Beyond that it’s the same situation as always. We have 23 squad players now instead of 22 and it’s a problem for the coach and not the players.

“They need to continue doing what they have been doing, what I have been emphasizing since the start of the season, which is winning their place on the pitch.”

Vermaelen was signed from Arsenal for a reported £15 million last summer, but was almost immediately sidelined with a serious hamstring injury. The club eventually decided to have the defender go under the knife in December in a bid to finally put an end to his ordeal.

After the operation, it was thought Vermaelen would be out of action for four to five months. So a return on Tuesday is well within the doctor’s timeline.

The Belgian returned to training late last month and had been rumored to be close to a return. However, the club has taken an extremely cautious approach with their investment and not rushed the defender back into the squad.

Programming note: Barcelona vs. Getafe will be shown LIVE on Tuesday starting at 2:00pm EST on beIN SPORTS and fuboTV.