Five games to go and Thomas Vermaelen is finally ready to make his Barcelona debut

It's the moment Barcelona fans have been waiting... and waiting for

Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen has finally been declared fit to make his Barcelona debut a mere eight months after his €18million summer move from Arsenal. The centre-half has had terrible injury luck with a series of leg injuries, finally going under the knife in December. The Barcelona website said: 'Five months after injuring his right leg, FC Barcelona's Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen has received medical clearance. He underwent surgery back in December and will now be fully available for Luis Enrique in the home stretch of the season. Vermaelen was given the medical all-clear following Sunday morning's workout at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.' Let's hope he plays a big part in Barca's last five games of the season, given the club have reportedly shelled out the best part of €5million in wages since the start of the season in addition to the hefty transfer fee.