Aitana Bonmati is back on the grass. Three months after surgery on a fractured fibula, Barcelona's three-time Ballon d'Or winner has moved from gym work to pitch-based running at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. Ball work has not yet started, but an April return to full training is in sight, with Barcelona chasing silverware on three fronts and a UWCL quarter-final against Real Madrid three weeks away.
The Injury and the Surgery
Bonmati fractured her left fibula on November 30 during a Spain training session at Las Rozas, landing awkwardly while the squad prepared for the Nations League final second leg against Germany. Surgery was performed on December 2 by Dr. Antoni Dalmau at Hospital Barcelona, with the club announcing a recovery time of approximately five months.
Spain went on to beat Germany 3-0 on aggregate to claim the Nations League title. Bonmati watched from the sidelines.
What Bonmati Has Found Away from Football
For the first time in five years, the 28-year-old from Sant Pere de Ribes has had time to stop. In a December interview with ESPN, she described the forced break as unexpectedly valuable. She said the injury was giving her a chance to relax in a way she had not been able to during five consecutive years of playing at the highest level.
The time off has reshaped her daily life. In a February interview with SPORT's Maria Tikas, Bonmati revealed she had been staying with family in central Barcelona, attending Palau Blaugrana basketball games and men's matches at Camp Nou. She spoke about discovering parts of her club she had never had time to explore, describing the experience of being a fan again rather than just a player.
She also spoke about reading Matt Haig's The Midnight Library, a novel about alternate lives. Bonmati said she had wondered what might have happened if she had left Barcelona during a tougher period, but concluded that every decision, good or bad, helped shape who she is today.
At a charity event for AE Ramassà in late February, she offered the most direct update on her physical condition.
It hurts me, I can't lie to you. I hope to return as soon as possible, but there is no exact date. It will depend on how I feel and how much I can resist the pain.
Aitana Bonmati, charity event, Barcelona
The Fixture Calendar: Three Clasicos and a Road to Oslo
The dates that matter most are already fixed. Barcelona face Real Madrid in the UWCL quarter-final first leg on March 24, with the second leg at Spotify Camp Nou on April 2. A Liga F Clasico is also scheduled between those two fixtures, creating a run of three consecutive matches against the same opponent across eight days.
Bonmati will almost certainly miss all three. Her five-month timeline from December 2 surgery points to a return to full training in late April at the earliest. The UWCL semi-finals (April 25-26 first leg, May 2-3 second leg) sit on the edge of possibility, with the final in Oslo on May 23 as the realistic target.
Bonmati herself has acknowledged the uncertainty, saying she has passed the halfway point of recovery but that pain levels and medical advice will dictate the next steps. She has not set a specific return date.
Barcelona Without Their Best Player
The striking thing about Bonmati's absence is how little Barcelona have dropped off. Pere Romeu's squad of just 20 first-team players has won the Supercopa de Espana (5-0 over Real Madrid in January), built a 10-point lead at the top of Liga F (20 wins and just one defeat from 21 matches, with a 94-5 goal difference), and topped the UWCL league phase with 18 points. Ewa Pajor, who won the Gerd Muller Trophy at the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony, and Claudia Pina have led the scoring. Alexia Putellas continues to set the tempo in midfield.
That resilience does not diminish Bonmati's importance. It simply means Barcelona have proven they can survive without her. The question for the season's final act is whether the club that has coped so well can reach heights that only her return could unlock.
What Comes Next
Bonmati's recovery enters its most critical phase over the next four weeks. The transition from pitch running to ball work, then to contact training, will determine whether late April or May is the re-entry point. For now, the sight of her running on the grass at the Ciutat Esportiva is enough. The road to Oslo remains open.