Ousmane Dembele Has Not Suffered An Injury Relapse, But Still Out For 2-3 Weeks
Up until last year, Ousmane Dembele’s career at FC Barcelona had been largely characterised by the number of injuries he suffered and the time he spent off the pitch and on the treatment tables, to the point where it had become a running joke among opposition fans.
However, things took a positive turn for the Frenchman since the change in regime in November 2021, with Xavi Hernandez taking over as manager and bringing in his own set of medical staff and other personnel who helped Dembele stay fit and fine.
Indeed, the Frenchman had not suffered a single injury in over a year since Xavi’s arrival, until he sustained a hamstring problem in the game against Girona in late January.
Early prognosis suggested that the French international will likely be out for five to six weeks and be ready in time for this week’s El Clasico at Spotify Camp Nou. But that is not how things turned out as the recovery did not go at the anticipated pace and he has been ruled out the Real Madrid clash.
Furthermore, reports on Thursday claimed that Dembele had even suffered a minor injury relapse during his recovery and was now likely to miss the Copa del Rey semi-final vs Madrid on April 5.
But, Fernando Polo of Mundo Deportivo is claiming that the Barcelona winger has not suffered any sort of relapse at this point. However, he adds that the injury is not healing at the expected speed, which has now delayed his return to action.
The report states that the Barcelona staff, which includes manager Xavi and club doctor Dr. Ricard Pruna, are aware of the situation and do not wish to take any risk with the 25-year-old ahead of a key phase of the season.
It is further claimed that it could take two to three weeks for the injury to heal well so that there is no risk of a relapse when Dembele does return to the field.
With Raphinha performing well in recent games, Barcelona do not see the need to risk rushing back Dembele for the Clasico, and the hope is that he could be ready for the second leg of the cup semi-final on April 5. Even then, if he is not 100% fit, the Blaugrana will not take any manner of risk with him.
