Barcelona defender Eric Abidal recovering well after liver transplant surgery "Today could be a great one all round, because we know that Abidal and his cousin (Gerard, the donor) are recovering well after the operation," Barcelona president Sandro Rosell said on Wednesday. From here I went to send him all the very best, as everyone else has been doing. Abidal had surgery to remove a tumour from his liver last March before making a triumphant and emotional return to lift the Champions League trophy at Wembley just two months later. Last month, the club said Abidal would need a transplant but did not say how long he would be out of action.