Injured Villa back in Barcelona

Barcelona striker David Villa has returned to Catalonia ahead of his operation to repair the broken shinbone he suffered in yesterday's FIFA Club World Cup semi-final against Al-Sadd in Yokohama. Spain's all-time record scorer is expected to be sidelined for between four and five months after being carried off on a stretcher in the first half of yesterday's match with a fracture to his left tibia. A Barcelona statement this evening read: "David Villa has landed on Friday afternoon in Barcelona via Frankfurt, after the fracture of the tibia in his left leg that he suffered during the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup. "The player arrived in Barcelona in good condition and the transfer has been developed without any incident. In the next few hours a decision will be made over pre-operative tests and the date and time of surgery." The 30-year-old is likely to miss the majority of Barça's La Liga and UEFA Champions League campaigns, but could be available to world and European champions Spain for UEFA EURO 2012, which begins in June. Villa's team-mates, who remained in Japan ahead of Sunday's FIFA Club World Cup final against Santos, took to Twitter to express their support for their injured friend. Club captain Carles Puyol posted: "Encouragement for el Guaje!!! I'm sure he'll be back with us soon, his injury is a blow to the team. We will try to dedicate the title to him." Fellow defender Gerard Pique tweeted: "You'll get well soon Guaje! We are all here for you, friend!," while midfielder Cesc Fabregas added: "Stay strong Guaje! We're with you, friend!" Coach Pep Guardiola said after yesterday's match: "He will be greatly missed as a colleague and as a player. I hope everything goes well. He will be out for a long time. It's a big blow to the team. We just hope that he can play again as soon as possible. "David is very dear to us. The injury has saddened us all. Everyone can put themselves in his place and know how they would suffer if it happened to them. They feel for him. We must accept it and encourage him in his recovery."