Barcelona are going strong in La Liga and sit pretty on top with six wins out of six games so far in the competition.
Yet, it has not been smooth sailing for the Catalans despite it appearing so on the outside.
Playing under a new manager, Barcelona have done phenomenally well to adapt to a new style of football in a short time. The long injury list only makes the achievement all the more admirable.
The Catalans have suffered back-to-back setbacks across the field in terms of injuries this season. What began with Gavi’s long-term setback last season was only worsened when Ronald Araujo was ruled out before the campaign as well.
As of today, the team is without as many as eight starting players and Barça Universal brings you a summary of the situation of all eight stars.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen
The latest addition on the list, the German goalkeeper went down injured in Barcelona’s recent clash against Villarreal just before the half-time mark with a painful knee injury.
He was immediately stretchered off the field but the injury does not appear to be good in any sense. According to preliminary exams, it appears he has ruptured his patellar tendon and word has it that he could face up to nine months on the sidelines.
If the worst of confirmed, Barcelona will be without Ter Stegen for the entire season in what is a crushing blow.
Gavi
Having suffered a painful ACL injury last season, the La Masia sensation missed the entire second half of the 2023-24 season and is now in the final phase of his recovery.
The midfield star is already training with the group and looking closer than ever to a return to the field. Word has it that he can feature next month but Flick will be very cautious with Gavi’s re-integration.
The youngster could make a complete return next month, but will likely need some time before he is a starting option once more.
Frenkie de Jong
The Dutchman’s case is another queer situation for his injury has not recovered anywhere close to the pace at which it was expected to.
De Jong was initially ruled out for six to eight weeks after suffering an ankle injury in April, but 25 weeks later there is still no certainty over his return.
The midfield star has returned to training with the group, although he is yet to complete a session with his teammates, and is still not 100% about his ankle.
In the best case, he could return for Barcelona’s game against Getafe this week but his participation is completely subjective to his feelings.
Marc Bernal
The youngster arrived on the scene in pre-season and appeared to be a godsend to solve Barcelona’s pivot crisis. A perfect stylistic fit, the teenager soon became a regular starter under Hansi Flick only to suffer an ACL injury three games in.
Bernal has not gone under the blade and will sit out the rest of the season aiming to recover in time for next season.
Dani Olmo
Olmo made a superb start to life in Catalonia and was scoring goals for fun before his unfortunate muscle injury earlier this month.
Given his injury-prone history, Barcelona wish to exert caution over his recovery and return and will not rush him back despite the shortage of resources.
As it stands, the Catalans hope to have him back in action for the all-important game against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League on October 24 which falls just before El Clasico.
Ronald Araujo
Ronald Araujo suffered a massive fitness setback before the onset of the new season, even undergoing surgery for his hamstring injury. The surgical route, however, established a long period of recuperation that he is currently under.
The star defender is now expected back only in December and will thus be unavailable for almost the entire first half of the season.
Andreas Christensen
Facing an Achilles problem, Andreas Christensen was not registered for La Liga by Barcelona sparking massive allegations that the Catalans over-exaggerated the extent of his blow.
It is, however, not up for debate that the player is far from his 100% still, especially with his initial period out expected to extend until the beginning of November.
By the time he is back, the club must have generated sufficient revenue to enable his registration which is an additional hurdle.
Fermin Lopez
Just days away from returning from his injury and being available at Flick’s disposal, Fermin Lopez suffered a relapse last week further extending his period on the sidelines.
The player is thus out for an additional three weeks and will thus not return to action until the international break in October is complete and could make it just in time for the critical clashes that lie ahead.
