FC Barcelona have aimed high domestically this season. Wins in El Clasico across three different competitions thus far have symbolized their progress. Having won the Spanish Super cup by overcoming Real Madrid in the final with a 3-1 scoreline was just the start.
They now lead La Liga by 12 points over their Clasico rivals following a 2-1 win over Real Madrid in LaLiga and currently possess an edge in the Copa Del Ray semi-final following a 1-0 win over Los Blancos in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Yet as good times have come to pass for the Blaugrana, they now face some absurd difficulties ahead in order to maintain their successful balance. Injuries to crucial players at a crucial time of the season, the following is how Barcelona look right now when it comes to unavailable players due to injuries:
Pedri:
The gifted young gem from the Canary Islands picked up a hamstring injury against Manchester United in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League tie and has been unavailable since. Initially expected to be out for a month at most, the player was in time for his expected recovery deadline and was scheduled to face Real Madrid come El Clasico.
However, the injury has since been revealed to have aggravated and the player now faces a bizarre setup. The youngster is now expected to be out for at least 4 more weeks.
Expected return date: Sunday 23rd April 2023 ( vs Atlético Madrid )
Ousmane Dembele:
Injured prior to Pedri, the ever-so-talented French winger had been in absolutely elite form this season under Xavi Hernandez before his unfortunate injury against Girona in La Liga. Similar to Pedri, the Frenchman was ruled out for a month initially, but unfortunately, his recovery is taking much longer than originally anticipated.
Now expected to miss the deadline he had originally of being available by the time Barcelona welcomed Real Madrid to the Spotify Camp Nou for their second leg in the semi-finals of the Copa Del Ray, he will be out of action for a longer duration. He is expected to be out for at least 3 or 4 more weeks, similar to Pedri’s situation.
Expected return date: Thursday 16th April 2023 ( vs Getafe )
Frenkie De Jong:
Picking up an injury following Barcelona’s 2-1 victory over Real Madrid, medical updates seem to agree that the player has an issue in his hamstring. Despite the injury making him a doubt for the upcoming El Clasico, the club and player are confident in his ability to recover in time for the clash. He is expected to be unavailable for at least 2 to 3 more weeks.
Expected return date: Wednesday 5th April 2023 ( vs Real Madrid )
Ronald Araujo:
The Uruguayan was also injured around the time Barcelona played Real Madrid and was later confirmed to have an adductor injury, resulting in him not going with his national team for their friendlies and thus getting the international break to recover, similar to Frenkie De Jong.
The Uruguayan’s absence does seem more precautionary however, as recent reports reveal that he may even be available for the game against Elche right after the international break, however, he may end up being rested just in case. His expected return is 1-2 weeks from now.
Expected return date: Sunday 1st April 2023 ( vs Elche )
Andreas Christensen:
The Danish international picked up a calf injury in Denmark’s UEFA Euro qualifier game against Finland. He was injured within the first 18 minutes and will now be out for a considerable time. The player indefinitely misses the Clasico and could be out for a further month as more medical tests are conducted to deduce the extent of the injury. His time out is expected to be more than 4+ weeks as of right now.
Expected return date: Sunday 30th April 2023 ( vs Real Betis )
