Barcelona were dealt with a massive blow this past weekend when Sergio Busquets sprained his ankle during the win over Sevilla. He was subsequently ruled out for a period of two weeks.
But despite his injury, reports earlier this week had claimed that there is a possibility of Busquets returning to the pitch when Barcelona take on Manchester United in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League knockout round tie later this month.
That possibility has now been ruled out, as Barcelona team doctors have opted not to infiltrate his left ankle in order to fast-track the player’s recovery, reports Depredict.
Not going through with the procedure means Busquets has now been ruled out of the game against Manchester United. The Barça team doctors have taken a conservative approach so that the player can at least make himself available for the second leg fixture that will be played a week later.
This could serve as a massive blow for Xavi Hernandez, as Busquets had become an indispensable figure in his second line of press.
However, it must be noted that Xavi has an alternative in Frenkie de Jong, who is more than capable of replacing the veteran midfielder in the number six position. The Dutchman has been in excellent form this season and is likely to complement Pedri and Gavi in Barça’s midfield three.
Busquets, meanwhile, is set to miss three games during his time on the sidelines, including the Manchester United clash. But the midfielder is trying his best to speed up his recovery and was spotted at Ciutat Esportiva today, along with Robert Lewandowski and Sergi Roberto, even though Xavi has offered a holiday to the Barcelona players.
