Madrid, Oct 21 (IANS) FC Barcelona suffered an injury setback ahead of Sunday’s crucial La Liga clash at home to Real Madrid, with Dani Olmo sustaining a groin injury on Tuesday night. The 27-year-old midfielder limped off in the first half of Tuesday’s 4-2 defeat away to Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona’s first loss of the season, and was replaced by Fermin Lopez.
Although Barcelona’s medical staff has yet to complete a full assessment, early indications suggest Olmo has injured his left adductor muscle.
The injury rules him out of Sunday’s clash with Real Madrid, a match in which Barcelona could extend its lead over its title rival to nine points. Olmo could be sidelined for up to a month, potentially missing further La Liga matches against Alaves and Atletico Madrid, as well as the Champions League game against Aston Villa.
He is also a doubt for Spain’s upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against the Czech Republic and England on Nov. 12 and 15, respectively.
Barcelona will also be without injured defenders Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen for Sunday’s game, while Jules Kounde remains a doubt with an ankle injury.
The match was a big disappointment for the Spanish giants as Paris Saint-Germain beat Barcelona 4-2 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, with Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz scoring late to settle a contest in which the visitors twice equalised.
The defending champion started aggressively, forcing Barcelona into mistakes near its own penalty area. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia struck the post after two minutes, while Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue also threatened early on.
Barcelona gradually created opportunities of its own, but PSG goalkeeper Matvei Safonov denied Raphinha and Gordon in quick succession. Both sides suffered first-half injuries, with Dembele and Dani Olmo forced off.
PSG regained control and broke through in the 38th minute. Barcelona failed to close down Doue outside the area, allowing the forward to score from distance. Safonov then kept out Fermin’s effort as the visitors sought an immediate response.
“We were hoping for a win or at least a draw, but now we have to see what the coach tells us we need to improve,” Barcelona captain Raphinha said.
The victory kept PSG top of the league-phase standings with nine points from three matches. Barcelona remained on six points in fifth place after suffering its first defeat of the season.
–IANS
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