Vilanova set for earlier Barca return

Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova, who has stepped aside temporarily to recover from a throat operation last month, could be set to return to training this week.

The Barca boss underwent surgery on December 20 after suffering a recurrence of cancer in his saliva glands and temporarily stepped down from his post.

Club president Sandro Rosell said earlier he expected the coach to return to work in the middle of January.

But it seems it could be sooner after Vilanova was well enough to see out 2012 with a game of padel with his son Adria on Monday.

Padel is a racket sport similar to tennis played in Spain and Latin America.