DEMBELE ON COURSE FOR CLASICO AS BARCELONA'S €105M MAN RAMPS UP RECOVERY

The France international is nursing his way back from a hamstring injury and could figure in a meeting with Real Madrid prior to the winter break

Ousmane Dembele remains on course to make his comeback for Barcelona ahead of December's Clasico clash with Real Madrid.

The France international has been out of action since suffering a hamstring tear against Getafe on September 16.

That outing was just Dembele’s third for Barca since completing a €105 million summer switch from Borussia Dortmund.

He was acquired to help plug the gap created by Neymar’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain, but has been denied the opportunity to show his true colours.

Dembele is, however, closing on a return to full fitness and has stepped up his training regime once again as he approaches the end of a lengthy rehabilitation programme.

Barca have fared admirably in Dembele’s absence, with an unbeaten start to their La Liga campaign seeing them edge four points clear at the summit.

Valencia are the closest challengers to the Camp Nou giants at present, with defending champions Real 10 points adrift in third.

They will get the chance to bridge that gap when Barca pay a visit to Santiago Bernabeu on December 23.

Dembele will hope to play some part in that contest, allowing him to kick-start his career in Catalunya.

Any minutes he gets before or doing that contest will set him up nicely for 2018, with Barca’s eagerly-anticipated clash with Real set to be their last heading into La Liga’s winter break.

Source : Chris Burton of Goal.com