Barcelona: Jordi Alba injured and doubt for Napoli and Clásico
The Spanish full-back is an integral part of a Barça side striving for glory this season, but an adductor injury against Getafe on Saturday could limit his involvement.
Quique Setién may be feeling the strains of agreeing to work with a tight squad of just 18 players, two of them also on the long-term injured list in Luis Suárez and Ousmane Dembélé. This decision, therefore, means that any further injury problems are going to hurt more than normal. Step forward, Jordi Alba.
Alba latest on Barcelona treatment table
The injury to the experienced full-back on Saturday in the hard-fought 2-1 victory over Getafe leaves Setién with only 15 available first-tema players. The Spanish international was accidentally injured in the 17th minute of the game as he ran to clear a ball, and pulled up holding the adductor muscle on his right leg. It was the player himself who realised the extent of the injury, calling to the bench to make a switch. He even encouraged his replacement, Junior, to hurry his warm-up on the side, knowing that he definitely couldn't continue.
Ahead of confirmatory tests, the early feelings in the changing room were not very positive, pointing to a possible lay-off of between two and three weeks, at least. The club issued a statement confirming the injury but with no information of expected return date.
In that time Barça have two huge games in particular to deal with, namely the Champions League Last 16 first leg against Napoli on 25 February and on 1 March they have the second league Clásico of the season. That clash at the Santiago Bernabéu could be a major deciding factor in where the LaLiga title ends up.
This is Alba's third injury of the season, but this time it comes at a very inconvenient moment for the club.