Fifth Barcelona player injured on international duty - Reports
Five Barcelona players will reportedly return to the club from the international break with injuries next week.
Memphis Depay, Frenkie de Jong and Jules Kunde are set to be sidelined after picking up injuries while on international duty. Uruguay have released Blaugrana defender Ronald Araujo after he picked up an injury while in national camp. Dembele is the fifth injured player, although his issue reportedly first appeared before he left for international duty.
The French winger missed training on Friday due to a calf issue, which he supposedly picked up while still with the Blaugrana. He's set to miss France's trip to Denmark, but nothing is for certain yet.
Meanwhile, Uruguay manager Diego Alonso offered an update on Araujo, saying:
“Ronald had discomfort in his right leg. We will immediately speak with Barca to determine the steps to follow.”
Initial scans suggest that the Barcelona centre-back will be out for two to three weeks.
The other Barcelona defender who was injured (Kounde) was subbed off as a precaution against Austria while playing for France. Manager Didier Deschamps confirmed that Kounde was taken off early to avoid exacerbating his thigh problem.
Barcelona also have Dutch duo De Jong and Depay injured. The former did not reappear after half-time while playing against Poland, while Depay had to be taken off in the 52nd minute due to a hamstring issue.
Barcelona could be in an injury crisis post international break
The post-international break could be a crisis for a Blaugrana team who were flying high before the international break.
Losing five players, four of whom start regularly for the club, will be a big blow for the Blaugrana. Dembele is their chief playmaker, while Araujo and Kounde marshall the defence with great aplomb.
Intensity heading into the weekend 🔥 https://t.co/qqRho8UC1S
The club have lost just one game since drawing their league opener, winning the rest of the games.
Losing five players, especially a few weeks before the crucial Real Madrid game, could hurt the club, though. Their injury crisis will also leave them short of options while rotating players in a busy schedule before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.