It was believed that earlier in the week FC Barcelona captain Carles Puyol would make his return from a knee injury that has had him sidelined since January in next Wednesdays Copa del Rey final.

On Thursday head coach Pep Guardiola announced that his captain will not be ready to participate in the final against Real Madrid.

The announcement is a big disappointment for Puyol, who celebrated his 33rd birthday this past week, as the team captain had set his sights on this match to return to his club and help lead them through the final push of the season.
Guardiola admitted to reporters on Thursday that the loss has been difficult for him because “for every two steps the players takes forward in his recovery there is a step back.”

In Tuesdays Champions League quarterfinal match against Shakhtar Donetsk Guardiola employed a new feature to his backline to cope with the loss of Puyol along with his other center back Eric Abidal. Guardiola decided to give Javier Mascherano a shot and the player performed valiantly in his new position. The performance gives Guardiola some relief in that position with four major encounters come up in the next 18 days against Real Madrid.

To show support for Puyol during his long layoff the club on Wednesday released a video on their official site as a special gift encouraging him through this difficult time.

FC Barcelona captain for many years!