Barcelona injuries: Latest De Jong and Gavi news and potential return dates
- Teenage starlet Gavi is a long-term absentee
- Frenkie de Jong suffered another injury blow
- Xavi already has a small squad to work with due to the club's financial difficulties
By Euan Burns
A mere 48 hours before the 2023/24 season began, Barcelona had a pitiful tally of 12 first-team squad members officially registered with La Liga.
That diminished dozen included Ousmane Dembele, who joined Paris Saint-Germain for a cut-price fee in the summer. Barcelona's beleaguered accountants eventually found enough wiggle room for a full squad only for injuries to reduce Xavi's options.
The departing Barca boss has found it tough mitigating a long list of key injury absences this season, and a controversial defeat in El Clasico has all but ended their chances of retaining their La Liga crown.
Here are the latest fitness updates for Barcelona's injured stars.
Barcelona injuries
Frenkie de Jong
- Issue: Ankle injury
- Potential Return: Summer 2024
Having missed a month of the season with an ankle injury, De Jong's campaign was brought to a premature close thanks to another ankle issue.
The Dutchman came off worse out of a duel with Federico Valverde in Sunday's El Clasico and was stretchered off the Bernabeu turf.
The following day, Barcelona confirmed that De Jong suffered an ankle sprain in Madrid which will end his season. The midfielder will be aiming to return to full fitness in time for Euro 2024.
Gavi
Be strong, Gavi ❤️🩹#EveryoneWithGavi pic.twitter.com/H0DiqGyKq2
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 20, 2023
- Issue: Knee injury
- Potential Return: Late July 2024
Earlier this season, Gavi reflected on his full-blooded approach and admitted that his mother couldn't bear to watch his matches anymore. At least that means that Mrs Paez didn't see her son hobble off in agony while representing his country in November 2023.
Gavi had already been clattered by Georgia's Luka Lochoshvili in a meaningless qualifier but returned to the pitch after medical treatment. Within a matter of minutes, Gavi buckled under his own weight while trapping the ball on his chest, clutching his knee which had already begun to redden.
Not only had Gavi suffered a complete tear in his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), but he'd also damaged his lateral meniscus. The teenager was swiftly ruled out for the rest of the 2023/24 season and won't be called up by his national team until 2025.
An outpouring of well-wishers flooded Gavi's inbox over the subsequent days, with even Real Madrid president Florentino Perez sending his best.
Alejandro Balde
- Issue: Hamstring injury
- Potential Return: August 2024
Alejandro Balde's underwhelming season ended when Barcelona's best chance of winning a trophy was extinguished. Halfway through the opening 45 minutes of a wild 4-2 defeat to Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, Balde pulled up holding his hamstring.
Subsequent scans revealed damage to his tendon which required surgery in Finland. The 20-year-old will watch his colleagues play out the rest of the season from the sidelines.
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