The last thing FC Barcelona need is another injury concern, but that is exactly what they now have on their hands, in regards to Dani Olmo. The Spanish summer signing suffered a knock on his knee in the draw with Serbia, and he’s now been ruled of the national team’s second matchup this international period, against Switzerland. According to widespread reports, he’s returning to the Catalan club now, and that’s where he’ll be assessed, and we’ll go from there. Let’s also get you caught up on the latest with Ansu Fati, Fermin Lopez, Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen as well.
Additionally, Gavi (ACL), Frenkie de Jong (ankle), Ronald Araujo (hamstring) and Marc Bernal (ACL) all remain on the shelf for an extended period of time. Basically, they have an injury crisis when it comes to the back line and defensive midfield.
Dani Olmo
Barcelona are back in La Liga action on Sunday when they travel to Girona, for a Catalonia derby. Perhaps Hansi Flick can give us an update in the next few days about whether or not Olmo will play a part in it.
Ansu Fati
The young phenom winger has seen his foot injury healing up. He should be in contention to feature next weekend.
Fermin Lopez
Lopez has a biceps femoris injury that is muscular, not structural, and his timeline for return is somewhere between late September and early October.
Andreas Christensen
He’s got some irritation in his Achilles tendon, and he’ll be out a few more weeks, at least.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.