Injury Update: Barcelona Forward Not Expected To Play Second Leg At Old Trafford
A lucky 2-2 draw at Spotify Camp Nou takes Barcelona into the second leg of the Europa League fixture against Manchester United with no cushion. Having exhausted their home advantage and playing with a depleted squad, the Catalans will have to fight against the odds to make it to the next round.
The Catalans may have lost some of their biggest stars during the first-leg fixture, but entered the game already without some key names. One such player who did not feature last night was Ousmane Dembele.
The Frenchman went off injured in Barcelona’s fixture against Girona towards the end of January and was ruled out for close to a month. Santi Ovalle provides an update on the winger’s fitness.
According to the reliable journalist, Dembele has already begun working on the grass. His recovery is going on track, but he will not make it in time to face Manchester United at Old Trafford next week.
Moreover, given the winger’s record with injuries, Xavi Hernandez prefers to take a cautious approach in his reintroduction. At this stage of the season, Barcelona cannot afford to lose Dembele to another spell on the sidelines.
The Frenchman has silently been one of the Blaugranas’ best players this season, proving decisive in every game with his tenacious dribbles and lethal pace. In La Liga alone, he has scored five goals and provided five assists in 18 appearances.
In his absence, Raphinha will almost certainly get the nod to start next week. After a splendid display in the first leg that included an audacious goal, the Brazilian will look to regain his mojo and stun the English crowd especially given that the team will need a new leader without Gavi and Pedri.
