After a week full of speculation, Barcelona are on the verge of securing the signing of Wojciech Szczesny, with the official confirmation likely to come Wednesday.
However, even as Barça look to officiate Szczesny’s arrival just after the Champions League clash against Young Boys SC, the goalkeeper might not be fit enough to play for at least a month.
That is the word coming from Szczesny’s first-ever goalkeeping coach – Jacek Rutkowski, who believes the goalkeeper’s two-month retirement period could take a toll on his body.
Szczesny to require three to four weeks to recover?
“Szczesny will need three or four weeks to return after being retired for two months,” Rutkowski told Fakt (h/t Mundo Deportivo).
“Although 34 is not too old for a goalkeeper, Wojciech will need three or four weeks of training to get back to his pre-retirement condition. The muscles and tendons used to exercise over the years have functioned differently when he did nothing,” he explained.
Rutkowski went on to back Wojciech Szczesny to play for Barcelona only when he is back to his full fitness.
“He needs to restore them to their ‘factory state’. One thing I am sure of: Wojciech will not be in goal if he is not sure he is ready.
“He is coming back to reinforce and defend Barça in a few games. He will surely not allow himself to go out on the field on his debut if he is not 100% convinced of his performance,” he added.
Rutkowski on Szczesny’s decision to return from retirement
Rutkowski went on to talk about Szczesny’s decision to return from retirement, just a few months after hanging up his boots.
He explained how the offer from Barcelona was a difficult one to turn down, despite his retirement decision.
“I expected Wojciech wouldn’t last long without the ball. After a while, he would miss the adrenaline, the dressing room, the high-risk matches and he would come back. It actually happened very quickly,” he said.
“Name one player who would turn down Barcelona’s offer. Wojciech probably assumed he would end his career at Juventus. Now that Barca have approached him it’s no wonder he was tempted. Besides, Barcelona is more than just a club. It’s a legend, magic, a way of life,” he concluded.
