Barcelona star Luis Suarez fit to face Leganes after 'spectacular' break

Misfiring Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has confirmed that he will be fully fit to feature when the La Liga leaders visit Leganes after the current international break.

The 30-year-old forward has been playing with some niggles in his knee since suffering an injury during the Catalans' 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup on 16 August.

Reports last month claimed that Barcelona feared that Suarez may even require surgery to remove a cyst should the discomfort didn't disappear.

The Uruguay international, however, decided against going under the knife with hopes the current break could help him to put those woes behind him.

Uruguay and Barcelona reached an agreement for the striker to miss the upcoming friendlies against Poland (10 November) and Austria (14 November) and instead stay at the club training ground working on his recovery.

Suarez says that the rest will be "spectacular" as he is sure that he will be 100% fit to play when Barcelona resume their season at Leganes on 18 November.

Asked by Mundo Deportivo whether he will be available to make the trip to the Madrid-based side, Suarez said: "Yes, without any problem. We are doing a treatment which does not involve many days. We are working at a lower intensity to give [the knee a] rest."

Meanwhile, Suarez defended the decision against undergoing a surgery as he believes that in that case the recovery would have been much longer.

"I have always tried to avoid surgery because it takes longer to recover. People always speak, but at the end of the day it's the medics who must decide because they know what's best. I was relaxed about it," the Barcelona stair said in another interview with Sport.

"[There is] no pain. It's just precaution. You always worry when there's a challenge that it could be worse, but after the break and with the treatment I am having, there won't be any more pain.

"To have a rest and to recover well. These two weeks are going to be spectacular for me. After the injury I had, I rushed things with my knee and long-term that can harm you. I had a lot of pressure physically, just making it for the national team and until now there wasn't a break. The best thing for the national team and Barça was to miss these two friendlies."

Suarez will be hoping that the break will also help him to recover his best form after having scored only three goals during the opening part of the season.

Questioned whether he is concerned after having failing to find the net since the 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid on 14 October, Suarez added: "I have never been worried because I have everyone behind me, including the fans. Goals are important for me but helping the team is, too. But it would be a lie to say I am happy with my form. I know I can give more."

"I am most critical of myself. There have been games when I've helped the team and been happy, despite not scoring. In other games, I have ended them badly because I did everything possible to score and was not able to. It's not about runs, there are moments when you do everything and the ball doesn't want to go in. Sometimes you hit it wrong and it goes on. They're situations strikers are used to and must live with. I know I am obliged to score because it's my job but also that the team's doing well and hasn't needed my goals."

Meanwhile, Barcelona have confirmed that the striker continued working on his own during the training session on Wednesday (8 November) as Ernesto Valverde continue preparations for the trip to Leganes with the players who are not away on international duty.

Denis Suarez was also unable to complete a full training session but the club didn't specify the reasons behind it.

"Third session of the week for the first team at the Ciutat Esportiva for first team players Paco Alcácer, Gerard Deulofeu and Aleix Vidal. Training took place on Pitch 3 with Gerard López's Barça B squad also involved. Both Luis Suárez and his namesake Denis did specific work apart from the rest of their team mates," Barcelona confirmed in the club website.