LALIGA SANTANDER
Ousmane Dembélé injury blow for Barcelona
Ousmane Dembélé has become a key figure for Barcelona was forced off in their LaLiga clash against Girona and may miss several games.
Bad luck never comes at a good time, but that seems to be especially true right now for Ousmane Dembélé. Just when he was enjoying his best run of form this season, the Frenchman was forced off in the 24th minute of Barcelona’s 1-0 LaLiga victory against Girona after tweaking a thigh muscle while attempting to sprint past an opponent. It was immediately clear that something was wrong as the attacker pulled up and started rubbing his thigh. Dembélé initially tried to play on but a number of concerned looks over to the bench were followed by the signal that he was unable to continue.
What did Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández say about Ousmane Dembélé's injury?
When asked about Dembélé in his post-match press conference, Barça boss Xavi Hernández said the following: “It’s a shame because he’s a matchwinner for us. We’ll have to see the results of the tests, but he felt something. We hope it’s not too serious.”
How long will Ousmanne Dembélé be out for?
The winger will undergo tests when the team return to Barcelona but the early signs don’t look especially promising, with a number of online sources, including Helena Condis of Spanish radio station COPE, claiming that the injury will keep Dembélé out for two to three weeks, which would put his participation in Barça’s Europa League clash against Manchester United in doubt. Given that Barcelona have an incredibly busy fixture schedule over the next few weeks, the ex-Borussia Dortmund star could end up missing a number of games.
Dembélé's potential absence would be a huge blow for Xavi, as the Frenchman, who has featured in 49 of the Barça coach’s 51 matches in charge, has become one of La Blaugrana’s most influential players.
Barcelona’s busy fixture list
Barcelona are in the midst of a run of 16 games in 58 days, with the unusual timing of the 2022 World Cup, their participation in the Spanish Super Cup, their run to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey and the resumption of the UEFA Europa League meaning they have had, and will have, precious few free midweeks.
Barcelona haven’t had a single free midweek in January and won’t have any in February either, with the two-legged Copa del Rey semi-finals scheduled for 7-9 Feburary and 1-3 March. The draw will take place on Monday 30 January.