Barcelona down to bare bones as Martin Braithwaite ruled out until 2022
By Max Cooper
Barcelona are down to the bare bones of their attacking options after Martin Braithwaite suffered a knee injury that could rule him out for three to four months.
The Blaugrana have been forced to rely on the previously unwanted forward for the new season, following the departures of Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann in the summer transfer window.
Braithwaite started the season well, scoring twice on the opening day in a 4-2 win over Real Sociedad, but Barça have suffered a major blow off the back of the international break - with the Dane set to miss the rest of the calendar year through injury.
Gerard Romero reports that Braithwaite has suffered a knee injury which will sideline him for between three to four months. The issue is connected to the patella of the forward's knee, which has been damaged by cartilage wear.
The former Middlesbrough striker is undergoing a series of medical examinations on Sunday to better understand the extent of his injury, and while there has yet to be an official announcement from the club, it is expected to be extremely bad news for Barça.
Barcelona are now down to just two attacking options in Braithwaite's absence, with new signing Luuk de Jong the only man in line to replace first-choice striker Memphis Depay. Griezmann's departure at the end of the window has left them extremely short, while fans are uninspired by the signing of De Jong.
Sergio Aguero is out with injury issues of his own, meaning he has yet to pull on the red and blue jersey since completing a free transfer from Manchester City this summer. The 33-year-old will want to make his mark at Barça, but a calf problem means supporters are being forced to wait to see him take to the field.