Ibrahim Afellay is expected to remain at Barcelona after rejecting the chance to join Villarreal on loan.
The Netherlands international recently return to action after a lengthy spell out injured and believes he will get enough chances with Barca to return to the international set-up for the World Cup.
Villarreal Coach Marcelino hoped to persuade the midfielder to join the Yellow Submarine but after Afellay appeared against Malaga for Barca, he decided to stay at Camp Nou.
Coach Tata Martino is said to be a fan of Afellay’s and is willing to trust him with minutes between now and the end of the season, while Afellay’s popularity among his teammates was also a factor, Mundo Deportivo has reported.
Afellay was greeted with a standing ovation from the Barcelona supporters when he returned against Malaga, his first appearance for the Catalans since May 2012 due to a combination of his loan spell with Schalke and the long-standing thigh injury.
The fans’ reception has also convinced Afellay that he should remain with Barca.
