After being sidelined for over a year and a half, Barcelona's Gabi Milito has finally returned to action for his club in a friendly match held in Kuwait between Barca and Kazma Sporting.

The Argentine defender's return comes after a prolonged period of recovery from an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury that required surgery. His return to the side is a huge weight off the player's shoulders, whilst Pep Guardiola enjoys a reinforcement to this back line without having to dip into the winter transfer market.

"It is great to return and play my first match with an audience. It will serve me well to play and train little by little so I am able to find my best form as soon as possible", said the player in his post-friendly match comments.

Milito moved to Barcelona under Frank Rijkaard's tenure from Real Zaragoza and was a fixture for the Argentina national squad before his debilitating injury. His brother Diego Milito is a striker who also played for Zaragoza and now features for Italian champions Inter.

The friendly between Barca and Kazma Sporting was drawn 1-1, with the Catalans featuring few of their record-breaking first team squad.