Villa on the mend

Barcelona striker David Villa has thanked friends and fans for the support he has received and vowed to return as swiftly as possible from his broken shinbone.

The 30-year-old is set to be sidelined for between four and five months after undergoing successful surgery yesterday on the injury he sustained during the first half of the Club World Cup semi-final victory over Al-Sadd in Japan.

“My head has been recovering for two hours. I’ll start to rehabilitate this leg soon,” he said.

“I’m really looking forward to getting well so I can return and fight on the pitch. With a lot of work and with people’s help, you’ll see me on the football field soon, enjoying myself like I did before.”

Villa faces a race to be fit in time for next summer’s European Championship.

According to Ramon Cugat, one of the doctors who operated on Villa on Monday, the Asturian is unlikely to feature again during Barca’s Primera Liga and Champions League campaigns but hopes the forward will be fit for Euro 2012.

Cugat said: “The hope of him (Villa) and everyone will be that he can play at the European Championships. The chances that Villa will play this season are small but you can’t rule out anything.”

The end of the Primera Liga season is scheduled for May 12, with the Champions League final taking place in Munich on May 19.

Euro 2012 begins on June 8.

“The final in Munich is a little tight. I think he will be out for four or five months, but we have to wait and see how he progresses,” Cugat added.

“If I set a (return) date, I would surely be wrong. He is keen to be able to play in both the Champions League final and the European Championships.

“He wants it all.”