There is no end in sight to the injury-related problems being faced by FC Barcelona. As things stand, the Catalans have up to nine of their first-team players out with injuries, and Xavi’s team is spread very thin at the moment.
Sergi Roberto, Ter Stegen, Inigo Martinez, Marcos Alonso, Raphinha, Gavi, Joao Felix, and Alejandro Balde were already unavailable to Xavi for the last league match against Osasuna, and in the early phases of this match, the Catalans also saw Ferran Torres leave the pitch with an injury.
Some of these players are out for the rest of the season, while some will return to action in the coming weeks. Mundo Deportivo has provided an update on when these players are expected to return, and their recovery schedules are as follows:
Ferran Torres
The winger suffered from a puncture in his right thigh last night, and tests carried out on the player confirmed an injury. Torres is expected to remain sidelined for one month and will miss important matches against Napoli, Alaves, Celta, Granada, and Getafe.
Marcos Alonso
The defender undertook an operation to get rid of his lumbar problems on 3rd January and is expected to return in three weeks. He last stepped on the pitch on 7th November and got into the squad on 28th November, but has been unavailable for Xavi ever since.
Ter Stegen
Ter Stegen also had to go through surgery to recover from his persistent back problems. He was expected to rest for two months after this intervention, and Xavi has already confirmed that he will be available for the league match against Granada on 11th February.
Joao Felix
The Portuguese winger was injured in a training session prior to the Osasuna match and suffered from a sprain in the external lateral ligament of his right ankle. He has already had problems in this area, and is expected to return to availability for the Champions League clash against Napoli on 21st February.
Inigo Martinez
Having suffered his latest injury in the match against Barbastro, the defender was expected to spend five weeks on the sidelines. He has already returned to training with the team this week and is expected to be available for the next match on 3rd February.
Raphinha
The Brazilian suffered an injury in the match against Osasuna in the Spanish Super Cup and was out for a month. He has already spent three weeks recovering and is aiming to return for the match against Alaves on 2nd February.
Sergi Roberto
The Barcelona captain was injured in the recovery session after the Athletic Club match in Copa del Rey, and was unavailable for the matches against Villarreal and Osasuna. He can return to action either on 11th February in the match against Granada or against Celta on 17th February.
Gavi
Gavi had his ACL completely torn as he represented Spain in the match against Georgia back in November 2023. He will thus miss the entire season, and get back on the pitch for Barcelona only in the next season.
Alejandro Balde
Balde had to go through surgery for the hamstring injury he suffered against Athletic Club in Copa del Rey. He is expected to be sidelined for more than four months, and there is also the possibility of him missing the rest of the season with this issue.
