The Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" confirmed that FC Barcelona has officially registered the Portuguese star João Cancelo with the Spanish League (La Liga), making the player available to participate with the team in the upcoming period.

Barcelona signed Cancelo during this January transfer window, coming from Al Hilal Saudi Club, on loan until the end of the current season, as part of the club’s efforts to strengthen its squad for the second half of the season.

The squad called up for the match against Racing Santander on Thursday evening, as part of the Round of 16 in the Copa del Rey, included Cancelo, marking his first appearance in the team lineup since his official registration was completed.

According to the newspaper, Barcelona was able to register Cancelo by taking advantage of the long absence of Danish defender Andreas Christensen, who is suffering from an injury that will keep him off the field for a while, allowing the club to make room to register the new player in accordance with La Liga regulations.