Barca captain Puyol back from injury for Real tie

Barcelona captain Carles Puyol's recovery from a knee injury has progressed sufficiently for him to be included in the squad to face Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Saturday, the La Liga leaders said on Friday.

The Spain central defender, who turned 33 on Thursday, has not played since January 22 and his return would be a major boost for Pep Guardiola's side as they seek to extend their eight-point lead over second-placed Real.

"He (Puyol) said that the discomfort has almost disappeared and that he no longer has any pain," Guardiola said at a news conference on Friday. "We included him in the squad and tomorrow we'll make a decision."

Barca can take a giant stride towards securing a third straight title with a win in Saturday's game, the first of an unprecedented four meetings with arch rivals Real in three competitions in 18 days.

The sides meet in Wednesday's King's Cup final and the two-legged Champions League semi-final on April 27 and May 3.