Vitor Roque offers injury update amid talks of January switch to Barcelona

The 18-year-old could join the Catalans sooner than initially expected.

Vitor Roque has provided a positive update on his rehab process after suffering an ankle injury.

Barcelona completed a €40m move for Roque in the summer transfer window, initially planning to add the teenager to their ranks at the end of the season.

In recent weeks, however, Barca have expressed their interest to have Roque in their squad for the second half of the campaign. The 18-year-old has been sidelined since suffering a serious ankle injury in late September, but his quick recovery process has kept his hopes alive for a January move to Spain.

“Every day when I go to the training center I do physiotherapy, I always do two sessions and sometimes I also treat myself at night here,” Roque told Mundo Deportivo.

“I’m very well, I’m recovering well, my recovery is being optimal, I’m very young, so that also helps a lot.”

Initially, Roque was set to stay out of action for around three months. But his agent has confirmed he could be back soon enough to join Barca this winter.

“There was talk of three months of injury but we believe that in two months or even a little sooner he could be back,” Andre Cury said last week.

Roque’s agent added: “[He] will be playing for Barça in January. We are even hoping to play again on November 10 or 15 in the Brazilian championship to help his team be in the next Copa Libertadores.”