Abidal in no rush to return

Eric Abidal has said there is no set date for his Barcelona first-team comeback following his recovery from a liver transplant.

The 33-year-old has yet to feature for the Liga leaders this season as he continues his rehabilitation.

It was confirmed earlier this month Abidal had been given the green light to play for the first team again, but the former Lyon man has said he has no plans to rush back into action after a seven-month absence from the pitch.

He told OLTV: “I had a difficult time. I struggled, but being surrounded by my friends and family … you must have strength and I hope that the disease will not affect me anymore.

“It changes you. I have made a gradual recovery with work in the mountains, then on the pitch away from my team-mates. I got the green light to return a while ago.

“I’m training on a daily basis, I have no specific goal of recovery. My body will decide, you should not rush.”

Abidal also confirmed Paris Saint-Germain have expressed interested in bringing him back to Ligue 1, but he insisted he intends to see out his career with Tito Vilanova’s side.

“I am in Barcelona and I want to finish there,” he said.

“It is true that PSG were interested in me a while ago, but my family is settled in Barcelona. My contract does not end in 2013, I will continue to fight.”