Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele targets El Clasico return

Speculation has been rampant about his potential return to the field, with reports suggesting that the French international could be out for 5-6 weeks.

However, according to Javi Miguel of AS, Dembele and Barcelona's medical staff are targeting a return for the El Clasico against Real Madrid at Camp Nou on 19 March.

Unfortunately, this means that Dembele will miss both legs of the UEFA Europa League play-offs against Manchester United and the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Real Madrid on 2 March.

The recovery plan for Dembele has been set in stone. He will undergo physiotherapy for the next 15 days, and then carry out his rehabilitation on the field for another 15 days, gradually increasing his training workload until he's cleared to join the rest of the squad.

Given his injury history, Barcelona staff are being cautious and don't want to rush Dembele back into action.

He may miss as many as seven weeks of play, missing games against Villarreal, Cadiz, Manchester United, Almeria, Real Madrid (CdR semi-final), Valencia, and Athletic Club before finally making his comeback in the La Liga Clasico at Camp Nou.