Ousmane Dembele is working hard to make his Barcelona return in the first Clasico of the season on December 23, reports Marca.
The France international has been sidelined since September after suffering a serious hamstring injury on just his second appearance for the club and he was originally ruled out until 2018.
However, Dembele’s recovery has reportedly gone quicker than expected and now the 20-year-old is pushing to return to first-team action before Christmas.
Even if the former Borussia Dortmund forward recovers in time for their trip to Madrid, Ernesto Valverde will still need to make a decision on whether it’s worth the risk to play his £135.5m summer signing.
Barcelona are currently eight points clear of Madrid at the top of La Liga and Valverde may opt against risking Dembele if they hold a similar lead over the reigning champions when they meet on December 23.
Valverde’s side have not suffered in Dembele’s absence. In fact, only Valencia have scored as many La Liga goals as Barcelona this season (30).
