Barcelona forward Dani Olmo is facing uncertainty for the upcoming Clásico against Real Madrid later this month, as reports from ESPN suggest he could be out for up to three weeks.
The 27-year-old player left the Spain national team last week due to a calf issue, missing World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria to return to Barcelona for medical examinations.
Barcelona later confirmed that Olmo has a “muscle injury in his left calf” but stated that there is no serious damage involved.
His recovery timeline will depend on his progress, with sources indicating he is likely to be out for two to three weeks.
This means he will miss Barcelona’s LaLiga match against Girona on Saturday as well as next Tuesday’s Champions League game against Olympiacos.
Barcelona will travel to the Santiago Bernabéu on October 26 for the season’s first Clásico against league leaders Madrid, and Olmo is unlikely to be fit for that match.
This injury is part of a series of minor issues Olmo has faced since joining Barcelona from RB Leipzig last summer in a €65 million ($75.2 million) transfer.
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Last season, he missed 20 matches due to various fitness concerns, yet still made 39 appearances, netting 12 goals in his first year with the Spanish champions.
On a brighter note for Barcelona, Lamine Yamal and Fermín López both returned to training on Monday, while Ferran Torres is expected to be available for the match against Girona despite withdrawing from the Spain squad on Monday.
Yamal had missed Barcelona’s previous match against Sevilla because of a groin issue prior to the international break, while López has been absent for the last four games with a similar injury.
Torres has returned to Barcelona after missing Spain’s match against Bulgaria on Tuesday due to “soreness in his left hamstring,” but the club states there is no injury and he is expected to participate in upcoming games.