Xavi’s Barcelona woes mount as fresh triple injury blow confirmed after Bayern
Xavi’s Barcelona woes mount as fresh triple injury blow confirmed after Bayern
The nightmare situation facing newly-appointed FC Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez has continued to worsen on Thursday.
Europa League bound
Barca were of course back in action late last night.
After slipping to a concerning defeat at the hands of Real Betis at the weekend, the Blaugrana turned their attentions towards matters on the continent, in a crucial Champions League showdown with Bayern Munich.
Xavi’s men headed into proceedings aware that they couldn’t afford a defeat, if the club’s Champions League adventure was to remain intact beyond the turn of the year, with Benfica primed to play host to Dynamo Kyiv in Group E’s other final day fixture at the same time.
When all was said done, however, slip to defeat is precisely what Barcelona did.
The latest in a string of disappointing recent displays ultimately culminated in the visitors to the Allianz Arena being put to the sword by three goals to nil.
MUNICH, GERMANY – DECEMBER 08: Frenkie de Jong of Barcelona looks dejected after the second goal during the UEFA Champions League group E match between FC Bayern München and FC Barcelona at Football Arena Munich on December 08, 2021 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Benfica, on the other hand, cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win over Kyiv, guiding the Portuguese giants into the knockout rounds, and condemning Barca to the Europa League for the remainder of the campaign.
Depay & Roberto ruled out
As alluded to above, though, only a full 24 hours on from the final whistle in Bavaria on Thursday has the true damage of their latest outing become clear at Barcelona.
First, as confirmed by the Catalans themselves, one of few central attacking options still at the disposal of Xavi amid an alarming injury crisis, in the form of Memphis Depay, has been added to the list of walking wounded at the club.
Dutch international Depay has picked up an issue in his left hamstring:
LATEST NEWS | @Memphis has injured the biceps femoris in his left hamstring. He is out and his recovery will determine his availability.
MORE DETAILS: https://t.co/AEazylUy5P pic.twitter.com/Y2Gfwuv4pI
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 9, 2021
Depay’s marks the 2nd confirmed injury blow at the Camp Nou over the course of the last 24 hours, after defender Jordi Alba limped out of proceedings versus Bayern with what has since been revealed as a a hamstring problem of his own:
LATEST NEWS | @JordiAlba has right hamstring discomfort. His recovery will determine his availability.
MORE DETAILS: https://t.co/AEazylUy5P pic.twitter.com/VtRdo716q8
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 9, 2021
And last up comes an update on the situation of Sergi Roberto, who, after a recent spell on the sidelines, was today forced under the knife for an operation on his right thigh:
LATEST NEWS | @SergiRoberto10 successfully underwent an operation this Thursday on the rectus femoris muscle in his right thigh. He is out and his recovery will determine his availability.
MORE DETAILS: https://t.co/AEazylUy5P pic.twitter.com/QtrW7IO0WE
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 9, 2021
Subsequent reports in the Spanish media, meanwhile, point towards lengthy spells out of action for both Depay (minimum of a month) and Roberto (3-4 months), whilst Alba is expected to sit out the club’s meeting with Osasuna this weekend.
Clément Lenglet sends apology to Barcelona fans after viral post-Bayern photo
The trio of Barcelona stars up for sale this January after Champions League exit
