The Spain international has been sidelined with a calf muscle tear since November but is now free to return to the Blaugrana starting line-up against Elche on Sunday.

Barcelona have announced that goalkeeper Victor Valdes has been given the green light by the club’s medical team to return to action.

The 31-year-old shot-stopper has been out of action since suffering a calf muscle tear while on international duty with Spain in South Africa in November.

However, Barcelona have now revealed that Valdes, who is to quit the Catalan club at the end of the season, is 100 per cent fit again.

“After training on Thursday afternoon, goalkeeper Victor Valdes received a full medical discharge,” read a statement on the club’s official website.

“Therefore, he has already been made available to coach Tata Martino and could return to the team this Sunday in the Liga match at Camp Nou against Elche.”

Valdes, who has been out of action for a total of 44 days, will now be hoping to usurp Jose Manuel Pinto, who has been deputising for him.

According to Goal

The Argentine has been out of action since November 10 but is now in contention to feature in Sunday’s Liga clash with Elche at Camp Nou.

Barcelona have confirmed that Lionel Messi has returned to training after a month out with a hamstring problem.

The 26-year-old suffered the injury in the 4-1 Liga victory over Real Betis on November 10 and returned to his native Argentina for treatment.

However, Barcelona announced on Thursday that not only is Messi back in Catalunya, the forward is also back in action.

“Leo Messi landed in Barcelona this afternoon and went directly to the Ciutat Esportiva to meet up with his team-mates and get fitted for new boots ahead of the team’s training session,” read a statement on the club’s official website.

“Messi, who has yet to be declared match fit, took part in the team’s second training session of the day.”

Barcelona, who top La Liga on goal difference from Atletico Madrid, resume their bid for a second successive Spanish title when they face Elche at Camp Nou on Sunday.

According to Goal

Former Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been named as manager of Premier League strugglers Cardiff City and told the fans one of his immediate aims was to finish higher than rivals Swansea City.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

The 40-year-old Norwegian, who earned a place in United’s history by scoring the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich, replaces Scot Malky Mackay who was fired last week.
And just as he did as a player, Solskjaer hit the target perfectly when he told a news conference: “I would like us to finish above Swansea, that must be an aim…that will be important for everyone here.”
Cardiff are fourth from bottom while Welsh rivals Swansea are four places higher in the table.
Solskjaer also discounted suggestions that former United manager Alex Ferguson had tried to dissuade him from taking the job.
“Absolute nonsense,” he said. “He has given me his advice and wished me all the best.
“It’s a fantastic challenge to be here, it is the right step for me now,” added Solskjaer.
“What Cardiff have shown in the last three or four years – being in the play-offs, being promoted and in a couple of cup finals, they are ready for the next step and hopefully I will be the one who can do that with my philosophy of football.

“One of the factors that intrigued me most about Cardiff is the passion of the fans and that they love the club – the support they give their heroes.
“If you want to manage a football club you really want that passion.”
Solskjaer said he had a “rolling contract” and was unconcerned about the controversy surrounding Cardiff owner Vincent Tan.
He added that the biggest decision he had to make was to uproot his family from their home in Kristiansund in Norway where he has lived while managing Molde for the last three seasons.
Caretaker David Kerslake has been running Cardiff since Mackay left and Solskjaer inherits a side one point above the relegation zone after losing 2-0 at leaders Arsenal on New Year’s Day.
The former Norway striker led Molde to the first league title in their 100-year history in 2011 and retained the crown a year later.
They also won the Norwegian Cup last year.
The task Solskjaer faces now will be focused on survival rather than titles as Cardiff battle to preserve their top-flight status, achieved last season under Mackay after an absence of 51 years.
Mackay was sacked after falling out with billionaire Malaysian owner Tan in a series of public squabbles and despite being acclaimed by fans as the best manager the club has had.
Solskjaer, who sat next to Tan at Arsenal on Wednesday, will be in charge for Saturday’s FA Cup third round tie at Newcastle United.
“It is great to be right back in the thick of it, back in the Premier League,” he said.
“What assurances have I had? I have had great chats with (chairman) Mehmet (Dalman), I met the owner again yesterday and they have convinced me they want me to be in charge and to take the club forward.
“I don’t really need any more confirmation than that.”

According to Eurosport

Having stumbled through the first half of their campaign, David Moyes and Manchester United have now dropped more points than Sir Alex Ferguson’s champions did during the whole of last season.

For even if they were to celebrate victory in every remaining match between now and May 11, they would still fall one point short of the 89 amassed by Fergie’s title winners.
On current evidence, however, the chances of embarking on such a profitable streak appears remote. Is it, then, finally time to concede that their crown has slipped?

New year, old problems: Manchester United were beaten by Spurs on New Year’s Day, a result which means they’ve lost more points this season than they did during the entirety of the last campaign

Champion: Sir Alex Ferguson’s title winners dropped just 25 points en route to last season’s crown

Yes, there have been rumours of revival – namely four straight victories in December – but when United are presented with an adversary from the upper reaches of the table they have fallen short.
Indeed, a mini table collated of the matches contested between the top eight teams this term has Moyes’ boys rooted to the bottom.
They have won just once – at home to Arsenal in November – from eight games against those seven rivals.
There are trips to Chelsea and Arsenal on the horizon and, were that ruinous record to persist, then Moyes’ return against the top teams – he failed to win a single away match at United, Liverpool, the Emirates and Stamford Bridge during 11 years with Everton – would again be thrust beneath the spotlight.

The devil is in the detail: The numbers do not make good reading for United boss David Moyes

But it is their return at Old Trafford which will be of greatest concern to the club’s followers who had long since considered their residence something of a fortress.
‘Fergie’s feartress’, however, has faded. United have surrendered 16 points from 10 outings in their own back yard this season.
You would have to journey back through the final 32 matches of Ferguson’s home reign to equal that loss of points.
Their latest reverse came against Spurs on New Year’s Day, after which Moyes slammed the refereeing of Howard Webb.
Webb, though, was not responsible for the marking which allowed Emmanuel Adebayor to head the north Londoners into the lead, nor the 10 wayward shots which failed to locate the visiting target.

And had the whistler awarded a late penalty for Hugo Lloris’ challenge on Ashley Young – the point of Moyes’ angst – it would have merely salvaged a draw for the hosts, conversion permitting.
Even beyond the numbers, however, there is an obvious over-reliance on Adnan Januzaj to provide the final-third flair which is flickering all too fleetingly. Januzaj is 18 years old, his elders need to shoulder more of the attacking onus.
One of those seniors is Robin van Persie but, with the Dutchman sidelined through a combination of thigh and groin problems, his impact at present is nought and doubts remain over his fitness.

On that score, Moyes has admitted that Wayne Rooney is playing through the pain barrier with a groin injury but he cannot afford to give his star striker a recovery period..
So while a new year had promised much given their festive flurry, the arrival of 2014 has presented some old problems – home defeats and injury woe chief among them.
They are 11 points adrift of top spot and four shy of a Europa League berth.
That being the case, the quest to regain their crown has almost certainly met its expiry date.

 According to Dailymail