Jeremy Mathieu is happy to be back in Barcelona training and hopes to be included in the French squad for this summer's European Championships in his homeland.
The 32-year-old was injured in March while playing for France and had an operation to remove the meniscus in his knee, which has ruled him out ever since.
However, he's made a speedy recovery and could be back for next weekend's Catalan derby against Espanyol.
"It is going well, little by little I have recovered my smile," he said in an interview with L'Equipe.
"It will now depend on the coach [Didier Deschamps], but physically I will be ready for the European Championships."
On the feelings he felt when he picked up the injury, he added: "I thought I was cursed. When you feel pain like that, you think the worst.
"I noticed a crack and I thought it was my ligaments, so when they told me it was 'only' the meniscus, it was a relief.
"I picked my head up to return as soon as possible."
Mathieu had two options: he could either have the meniscus taken out or a surgical intervention to fix it.
He opted for the former, as it came with the quickest recovery time, although it could have damaging long-term effects.
"I decided to have the meniscus removed, for my national team and for my club," he explained.
"We'll see about [the effects] when I retire.
"When I'm 62, maybe I will be limping. The main thing for me is to enjoy my passion until the end. I am nearly at the end of my career."