Barcelona confirm Gerard Pique calf injury after Athletic Club draw
By Max Cooper
FC Barcelona have confirmed that defender Gerard Pique suffered a calf injury during the 1-1 draw with Athletic Club on Saturday night.
The injury occurred on the half-hour mark in Bilbao, when the Spaniard aggravated a niggle he'd picked up in training earlier in the week.
Coach Ronald Koeman suggested after the match that the defender could be fit as soon as next week, but that may not be the case.
Barça announced on Sunday that test results have confirmed Pique suffered a calf strain in his left leg, meaning he could be set for a spell of up to a fortnight on the sidelines.
Journalist Javi Miguel also reports that Pique will be out of action for two weeks, meaning he will miss the Blaugrana's clash with Getafe next Sunday. However, he should be fit to face Sevilla on 12 September.
Pique has endured a busy couple of weeks in Catalonia, having won all the plaudits for selflessly accepting a pay cut in order to allow Barça to register their new signings for the 2021/22 campaign.
He followed up that act of generosity by scoring the first goal of the campaign in Barcelona's 4-2 victory over Real Sociedad, but his heroics will have to take a back seat for the next fortnight, while he recovers from this fitness issue.
Coach Koeman will have plenty to ponder when selecting his back line for Getafe's trip to Camp Nou, as he will have to make do without Pique and his new partner, Eric Garcia. The former Manchester City man received a red card in injury time against Bilbao, leaving him suspended for the next match.
That limits the Dutchman's options considerably, and he may have to turn to injury-prone Samuel Umtiti to step in, despite the Frenchman being told he is free to leave the club this summer.