Barcelona have received bad news on the injury front as they’ve provided updates on Arthur and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The Catalan giants signed off ahead of the winter break with a 4-1 win over Alaves at the Nou Camp on December 21, a game in which Ter Stegen featured in.
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They’re back in action on Saturday when they face a trip to rivals Espanyol, and it appears as though they could be without both their first-choice goalkeeper and certainly Arthur.
As per the club’s official statement, the Brazilian midfielder has been ruled out for at least three weeks with an ongoing groin problem, one that has already troubled him for a few weeks and has played a part in limiting him to just 12 appearances so far this season.
The fact that the 23-year-old has scored two goals and provided four assists in those 12 outings shows how he can be important when available, and so losing him for another three weeks will no doubt be a blow for boss Ernesto Valverde.
As for Ter Stegen, the statement notes that he is receiving treatment for a knee tendon problem which he sustained after the win over Alaves, but it will be a concern for now at least that no recovery timeline is offered for the German shot-stopper.
It’s simply noted that he is unavailable and much will now depend on his recovery and how quickly he heals.
In turn, it could be an anxious wait to see how long he’s sidelined for, or perhaps it is merely precautionary and he could even be involved at the weekend if all goes well.
Time will tell how the situation plays out, but with the Spanish Super Cup semi-final clash with Atletico Madrid to come on January 9 too, Barcelona and Valverde will be hoping that he will be in contention with Arthur returning later in the month.