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FC Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has opened up on his fitness, team challenges and personal records in his latest interview with the club's official website, ahead of the La Liga restart against Mallorca.
The forward also revisited his Champions League success with Barcelona back in 2015.
A surgery on his right knee back in January cut short Suarez's campaign just when he was producing some of his best performances of the season. The 33-year-old has 11 goals and seven assists in 17 La Liga games this season for Barcelona.
Although they are on top of the ladder, Barcelona significantly missed their sharpshooter in key matches. The El Clasico is an example, as they were missing a focal point in a game where Antoine Griezmann was asked to lead the line but couldn't provide the goods.
Suarez speaks on his fitness and Barcelona's challenges
It's been almost a month since he began training normally after the arthroscopy, but Barcelona's Suarez reckons he feels good heading into the restart. He said:
“I feel very good, adapting to training with my team-mates. Returning after an injury is always difficult, because you are a little scared but I'm enjoying being back."
As times have changed due to the coronavirus outbreak, football is finally nearing a return in most parts of Europe, albeit during a period where players are usually on vacation easing their muscles.
Additionally, the heat in Spain will surely be a challenge for players. Acknowledging the same, Suarez continued,
"We are not used to playing in so much heat in the middle of summer. We are adapting to playing without a crowd which will be peculiar. We will continue to focus on winning games to win the league title, which is what we all want"
He's in his sixth season with Barcelona, but Suarez has already amassed a whopping 191 goals in just 270 appearances for the club. He is behind Kubala (191) in the all-time top-scorers for Barcelona, by just three goals. It seems like just a matter of time until that record is broken too, but Suarez believes working for the team is first priority.
“Records or challenges come along by themselves. I need to focus on helping the team as much as possible. If there is a chance of beating a historic player like Kubala, it is always welcome to leave a mark on a club as big as Barcelona," he admitted.
Another personal milestone he collected was in 2015 when he won his first and only Champions League with Barcelona. Reminiscing that glorious moment, he concluded,
“It was one of the best moments of my career. Firstly to win the Champions League, making the score 2-1 after a play by Leo and being able to enjoy an incredible night with the treble is something I will never forget."
With the title race hotting up for Barcelona, who are just two points adrift of Real Madrid, Suarez and co. know there would be no time to rest when the season resumes.
