Spanish giants Barcelona have, on Friday evening, been dealt a blow on the personnel front.
For those not aware, Xavi Hernandez’s troops are currently locked in La Liga action.
After missing their chance to leapfrog both Real Madrid and Girona to the top of the table at Mallorca in midweek, the Blaugrana have welcomed Sevilla to Catalunya, eyeing a return to winning ways.
Inside the closing 15 minutes at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, though, the two sides remain deadlocked, unable to carve out an all-important opener.
So close to a wonderful goal! 😮
The two Joãos combine beautifully but the shot by Félix rattles the crossbar 🤏 pic.twitter.com/UQpXQTyP6b
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) September 29, 2023
And yet, as alluded to above, the scoreline represents far from the only concern for Barcelona as things stand on Friday night.
This comes with the Spanish champions having also been dealt a potentially considerable blow on the injury front.
In the process, however, the Brazilian appeared to do himself some damage, swiftly pulling up whilst clutching at his hamstring.
After being tended to by the hosts’ medical team, it soon became evident that he was in no condition to continue, therefore hooked for youngster Fermin Lopez.
And Raphinha’s ensuing reaction on the bench only added to the concern, with the former Leeds man having looked close to tears before covering his face from the cameras.
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