There is no sign of an ending to the injuries and physical problems being suffered by the FC Barcelona squad. Since the start of the season, the Catalans have been suffering from this issue, and there is no doubt that the absences of players caused by injuries are one of the main factors for the team’s poor results this season.
Only in the last match, Xavi saw Alejandro Balde suffer a serious hamstring injury, that is expected to make him undertake surgery, and thus keep him out of action till the end of the season. Even if he follows a conservative treatment plan, he will still spend a significant period on the sidelines.
However, although it has been only a matter of days since Xavi lost Balde, he is still not the latest player to become unavailable for the Barcelona head coach. As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the midfielder Sergi Roberto is now also unavailable for the Villarreal match because of an injury.
The Barcelona captain felt some discomfort in the post-match recovery session after the game against Athletic Club, and immediately communicated his problem with the club doctors and Xavi Hernandez. Thus, with Roberto’s addition, Xavi will be without up to seven players for this match.
With this problem, Roberto did not participate in the Friday training session, and he is not expected to be a part of the squad list that Barcelona will announce for the Villarreal match. The problem is reported to have occurred in the hamstring area, but the extent of the injury and the duration of his recovery is not yet disclosed.
In addition to Roberto, there are six more players Xavi will not be able to count upon for this match. These include Ter Stegen, Marcos Alonso, Inigo Martinez, Raphinha, Gavi, and Alejandro Balde. But Roberto’s absence will be particularly felt as Xavi is already thin in defense, and the captain could have been an option for the right-back position.
