Barcelona have been blighted by injuries to start the new campaign and they’ve now suffered a fresh setback with Jordi Alba picking up a problem.
The Catalan giants have already seen the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele miss playing time this season, although they’ve coped relatively well to this point.
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However, coach Ernesto Valverde has another headache it seems as Sport note that Alba is expected to be ruled out for between two or three weeks after sustaining a hamstring injury in the clash with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League this week.
That in turn will see him sit out games against Granada, Villarreal and Getafe if the recovery timeline is accurate, and so it’s a blow for the reigning La Liga champions given his importance to the side.
The Spanish stalwart has firmly established himself as a pivotal figure in the Barcelona line-up, not only because of his defensive qualities but also for his tireless work ethic in getting up and down the left flank to offer width and a different attacking dynamic.
With that in mind, it remains to be seen if summer signing Junior Firpo can now step in and fill that void in the coming weeks while his teammate recovers from his injury setback.
That’s a boost for Valverde that he at least has cover in that department now, but ultimately given the importance and consistency of Alba, it will be a blow to be without him for the next few games with the hope that he returns in time to face Inter in the Champions League on October 2.
That said though, given the nature of the injury, it might be a sensible idea to bring him back into the mix gradually so as to avoid any risk of a potential setback.
