Barcelona lose Xavi Espart for about seven weeks after Clásico
The defender sustained a syndesmosis injury in his right ankle in the 2-1 loss to Real Madrid. Barcelona's injury list keeps growing.
Archive image · Photo: Oh-Barcelona.com from Barcelona, Spain / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Barcelona have suffered another blow in defense after their Clásico loss to Real Madrid. The club said Monday that tests on Xavi Espart revealed a syndesmosis injury in his right ankle and that he will be out for about seven weeks. According to media reports, Espart was hurt in a challenge with Aurélien Tchouaméni and had to be substituted in the 30th minute.
The injury adds to coach Hansi Flick's growing list of absentees. According to Spanish media, Jules Koundé, Eric García, Andreas Christensen, Dani Olmo and Roony Bardghji, who is out for months with a cruciate ligament tear, are also currently sidelined.
Barcelona, whose winning run in the league ended with the 2-1 Clásico defeat, host Alavés on Saturday before facing Aston Villa in the Champions League on Nov. 3.