The last time Barcelona’s defender Gabriel Milito played an official match was on April 29th, 2008 when the team lost 1-0 to Manchester United, in the season 2007-08 Champions League semi-final second-leg match when he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in his right knee. Since then he had to undergo two surgical operations on his knee as he still complains of pain after the first.

Returning to training for the first time last September, his recovery has been one of Pep Guardiola’s stated objectives, reports Catalan sports paper Sport. “The day I can summon Milito to play a match will be a fantastic day,” the FC Barcelona coach declared a few months ago.

The plan now is to give the player some playing time to further gauge his recovery, and today he played the first 45 minutes of Barcelona’s pseudo-friendly match against visiting Bolivian side FC Bolivar.

Nonetheless, no date has been given for his discharge yet.