Barcelona have been dealt another setback on the injury front with confirmation that Raphinha and Joan García are both set for spells on the sidelines.
Raphinha will be out of action for three weeks with a hamstring injury, while goalkeeper García will miss up to six weeks due to a meniscus problem in his knee.
The news comes after Gavi was ruled out for five months earlier this week at the same time as Fermín López picked up a muscle problem which will prevent him from playing for three weeks.
All four players will be out of action until at least after the international break, meaning they will miss Sunday’s game against Real Sociedad, the Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain next Wednesday and the trip to Sevilla on Oct. 5.
On a more positive note, both Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde trained on Friday and could return from their respective injuries against Real Sociedad this weekend.
Raphinha picked up the injury in Thursday’s 3-1 win over Real Oviedo when he had to be taken off in the second half.
The forward will miss Barça’s next three games and Brazil’s friendlies against South Korea and Japan next month, with the LaLiga fixture against Girona on Oct. 18 — a week before the Clásico against Real Madrid — an early target for his comeback.
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In his absence, Marcus Rashford, signed on loan from Manchester United in the summer, will get an extended opportunity to cement his place on the left side of Barça’s attack.
García, meanwhile, is unlikely to be back in time for the Clásico, with Wojciech Szczesny primed to take his place in the meantime.
“García has suffered a ruptured medial meniscus in his left knee,” Barça said Friday. “On Saturday, he will undergo an arthroscopic procedure at the hands of Dr. Joan Carles Monllau.
“He is expected to be out for around four to six weeks depending on his recovery.”
Midfielder López, like Raphinha, could also return after the October international break in time for the trip to Madrid on Oct. 26, but Gavi, in addition to goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, is a long-term absentee.
