Barcelona reveal extent of Sergio Busquets ankle injury
By Chris Smith
Barcelona face the prospect of tackling their busy upcoming schedule without key midfielder and captain Sergio Busquets.
The 34-year-old was forced out of the Blaugrana's 3-0 win over Sevilla on Sunday in the eighth minute after sustaining an ankle injury.
Barça were able to cope, finally breaking their opponents down in the second half, but with a busy couple of months ahead with key La Liga fixtures, a Europa League double-header against Manchester United and a Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg clash with arch-rivals Real Madrid, Xavi needs every player possible at his disposal.
However, it doesn't look good for Busquets, with Barcelona revealing Monday morning the extent of his ankle ligament injury.
"Tests on Monday morning have revealed that first team captain Sergio Busquets has sprained the external lateral ligament of his left ankle. He will be unavailable for selection until he recovers," read a statement.
It's understood Busquets faces an absence of at least two to three weeks, meaning he'll miss La Liga fixtures against Villarreal and Cadiz, as well as the first meeting with Man Utd.
Despite his age and links to a move away from the club, Busquets remains a vital component for Barcelona, featuring in all but two of their 20 La Liga fixtures so far this season, playing over 1,300 minutes in the competition.
In league play, no Barcelona player has made more combined tackles and interceptions (54), while the 143-time Spain international features in the top three among other key metrics such as passes completed, aerial duels won, recoveries and clearances.