Barcelona suffer costly injury setback as star ruled out for 10 days with Man City showdown fast approaching

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Barcelona have confirmed that left-back Jordi Alba will be ruled out for 10 days after picking up a thigh injury on international duty.

The 27-year-old suffered the problem during the World Cup qualifier against Italy in Turin on Thursday night, and had to be replaced in the first-half.

Further tests have revealed the extent of the injury, with Barcelona confirming on their official website that he will now spend 10 days on the sidelines.

Alba has made eight appearances in all competitions for Barca so far this season, and his defensive qualities combined with his attacking threat will be a major loss against Deportivo next weekend, a game which he will now be expected to miss.

Further, the injury casts doubt over his participation against Manchester City in the Champions League just four days later, as although the timeline suggests he should recover in time, it remains to be seen whether or not Barca take what could be considered a risk with a muscle injury.

City have already suffered their own setback after it was suggested that Kevin De Bruyne could miss the encounter at the Nou Camp, as reported by ESPN FC, but it appears as though both clubs will have their issues.

Pep Guardiola will undoubtedly be looking forward to returning to his former club, but having fallen two points behind them in Group C with back-to-back encounters ahead, he’ll want to see his team return to Manchester with something to show for their efforts and could have an avenue to exploit if Alba is missing.

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