Tito Vilanova, Barcelona’s coach, has undergone a cancer surgery on his parotid gland, which has progressed as expected, as per a statement from the Barcelona club on Thursday. The Barcelona statement on Tito Vilanova’s cancer surgery also consisted of an assertion that his clinical progress will determine how long he has to stay in hospital.

In accordance with the Barcelona football club statement on Tito Vilanova’s surgery, the 44-year-old coach has requested that his privacy and confidentiality be honoured by the media.

Tito Vilanova, who had a tumour extricated from his throat in November 2011, will now have to undergo six chemotherapeutic weeks.

Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has voiced that the players have mustered fortitude from Eric Abidal’s return to fine health. The squad is slowly getting accustomed to the news of Tito Vilanova requiring additional cancer treatment. Eric Abidal came back to training on Wednesday for the first time since he needed a liver transplant in April.

Carles Puyol has expressed that one is never ready to listen to news like the coach requiring cancer treatment. But Eric Abidal’s example has provided Barcelona with strength. It also teaches a lesson to the ordinary person on the street that, if you fight hard against a medical crisis, everything would be okay.

As per Carles Puyol, the ideal way to show support for Tito Vilanova at this moment is to move forward and keep on playing. Barcelona has behaved in this way historically and will do this in the future.

Meanwhile, Eric Abidal has commented on his Facebook page that he wishes Tito Vilanova and his family immense bravery so that they can overcome this tough period. Also, Eric Abidal has posted on Facebook that he has commenced collective training with the group and hopes to return to the football fields soon.