MADRID: One of the surgeons who performed Barcelona defender Eric Abidal’s liver transplant yesterday hailed his miraculous recovery, assessing that it broke new ground for the surgery.
Juan Carlos Garcia-Valdecasas helped carry out the 33-year-old’s transplant a year ago and has said that to see him return to playing top-class professional sport was unprecedented.
“My first objective was that he would continue to live and enjoy a high quality of life with his family,” he told Catalan radio station RAC1.
“Now we can say that the recuperation has been a miracle, an extraordinary case, because precedents like his don’t exist.
“The majority of patients can live a normal life, even 90 percent have an extraordinary quality of life, but his case is not normal.
“Medicine continues to set new goals and Abidal has marked another one for us going forward.”
The Frenchman returned to the pitch for the first time in 14 months towards the end of Barca’s 5-0 win over Mallorca on Saturday.
Garcia-Valdecasas said he believed that if required, the player was in the right physical shape to take part in Barca’s crucial Champions League quarter-final second-leg against Paris Saint-Germain.
“He is a Barcelona player and is in the squad. He wants to be there, he wants to play and therefore I don’t think we should treat him in a different manner.
“I didn’t have any idea he was going to return this Saturday, although I knew that sooner or later he would return to playing. I haven’t spoken with him but he could perfectly well play against PSG.”
Garcia-Valdecasas also confirmed that Abidal’s statement at the weekend that he would like to continue playing for a couple more years was perfectly attainable.
Thiago Silva, Alex included in PSG squad for Barca trip
PARIS: Paris St Germain centre backs Alex and Thiago Silva have been included in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad for the Champions League quarter-final return leg at Barcelona today despite injury concerns.
Italy midfielder Thiago Motta, who has only played one game since late January because of a recurring groin injury, was also named for the trip.
PSG will be without suspended holding midfielder Blaise Matuidi as the Qatari-backed club look to qualify for the last four after drawing 2-2 at home in the first leg last week.
Thiago Silva remains a doubt after picking up a knock on his knee in the first leg. The Brazil defender was left out of PSG’s squad at Stade Rennes last Saturday while compatriot Alex also missed the 2-0 win because of a thigh problem. REUTERS
