Ronald Koeman had much to be happy about after Barcelona’s fine 5-2 win over Real Betis on Saturday afternoon, their first in the league for five games.
Lionel Messi was left on the bench for the first half, and with Antoine Griezmann missing a whole host of chances, once Betis equalised right before half-time, it looked like it might be another one of those days for the Catalans.
Messi came on for Ansu Fati at half-time and certainly made his presence felt, though it transpired after the game that it wasn’t a tactical switch by the Dutchman.
The official Barcelona website noted that Fati had torn the meniscus in his left knee, and whilst they didn’t specify how long the youngster would be out of action for, MARCA, cited by Football Espana, suggest it could be anywhere from six to eight weeks.
That would mean he would not only miss the upcoming Spain internationals, but the rest of the Champions League group stage and a number of La Liga games.
It might be a blow from which Barca don’t recover this season.