Barcelona confirmed yesterday evening that wingers Ibrahim Afellay and Isaac Cuenca have both been registered to the first team squad for 2013-14.
The duo were provisionally left off the roster for the coming season, having missed preseason in recovering from respective injuries and it seen that Barca were still trying to arrange loan moves away.
However, the club yesterday evening confirmed through a statement on their website that both the 22-year-old and his 27-year-old teammate have now been registered with the first team.
“Tata Martino’s coaching staff, together with the Director of Football have decided to include Ibrahim Afellay and Isaac Cuenca in the first team squad, with the Dutchman taking the number 19 shirt and the Catalan again set to wear the number 23,” posted Barca this week.
The duo, who respectively were out on loan last season at Ajax and Schalke, are still on the sidelines having both undergone surgery this summer.
Cuenca was operated on for a second time on cartilage damage in his knee in June, whilst Afellay was more recently worked on for a chronic thigh muscle problem.