34-year-old captain "Blaugrana" suffered the injury on May 8, exactly one month before the start of Euro 2012. After the meeting, the Spanish league against local rivals Espanyol (4-0) football player complained of knee pain. Research has shown that it was necessary to perform arthroscopy, after which the player had to a six-week rehabilitation.
"Puyol was back in training on schedule this morning, returning after a two month layoff following his knee operation in May . The captain trained apart from the rest of the squad in the group’s penultimate session before they fly out to Germany on Tuesday for their first pre-season friendly against Hamburg.. Puyol will undergo further medical tests next Monday, June 30th, to confirm his fitness to return to full training – the same day that the team’s Spanish internationals resume training" - written the official website of Barcelona FC.
The absence of Puyol at Euro 2012 and the absence of injured forward David Villa, did not prevent the champions of Europe in 2008 to defend the title. After a 4-0 victory over Italy in the final, "La Roja" was the first team in history to have won two championships in Euro in a row.
