Damián Díaz returns to Barcelona and takes back the number 10 jersey

The car pulled into Estadio Monumental without making a sound, but the news it carried inside was felt all over Guayaquil. Damián Díaz set foot back inside Barcelona's facilities this morning to start his first day of work, two years after leaving the club. There were no microphones, no words: the 'Kitu' stepped out of the vehicle, waved from a distance to the handful of reporters waiting outside, and went straight into training.

The club has not officially presented him yet, but the gesture already says it all. Díaz put himself under the orders of Pablo Trobbiani, the coach now running the day to day at the Idolo del Astillero, and began getting to know a squad very different from the one he left two seasons ago. Because in soccer, time shows no mercy: teammates change, coaching staffs change, even the way training is run changes. And there he is again, wearing the yellow jersey once more.

A return with physical question marks

Not everything is good news on the physical side. The Argentine turned naturalized Ecuadorian arrives carrying an injury suffered during his stint at Guayaquil City, the club where he played his last official match on July 27, a scoreless draw against Universidad Católica. He has not competed since. Is he ready to play right away? That is still unclear. According to sources close to the club, Díaz has shown improvement in his recovery, but it will be up to Trobbiani to decide whether to include him in the squad for the match against Manta or wait another week, until the game against Independiente del Valle, to give him his first minutes.

What leaves no room for doubt is the number he will wear on his back. Damián Díaz will wear the number 10 jersey from day one, the same number that made him an idol at Barcelona during his previous spell. There is not much more to explain about what that number means to the yellow faithful: it is essentially the club's recent history summed up in a single jersey number.

The official presentation has not happened yet, but it is expected to be a matter of hours. The club is taking its time, though this morning's image, with the 'Kitu' walking into the Monumental to get to work, already served as the clearest announcement of all. Now the ball is in Trobbiani's court, who will have to calmly decide when the number 10 is ready to step back onto the field with the number ten on his back and the weight of history on his shoulders.