Barcelona have been handed a double setback as two of their key players Frenkie de Jong and Pedri suffered injuries against Athletic Club.
What happened?
De Jong was stretchered out of the field in the 26th minute after landing awkwardly on his right foot following a challenge.
The former Ajax player went down in pain after an uneasy landing as he contested for a header with Athletic Club's Unai Gomez.
As the medical team checked his ankle, it appeared as if the midfielder would be able to walk off the pitch unaided, but shortly went back down and had to be taken off the pitch on a medical cart.
On the other hand, Pedri also had to make way in tears after sustaining a muscular injury following an attempted pass.
De Jong's ankle injury looked a lot more critical than Pedri's muscular issue. Both men will undergo tests with the club's medical team later this week, with Xavi sweating on the fitness of two key players at a vital stage of the season.
Pedri is likely to be completely ruled out of Barcelona's Champions League round of 16 second-leg tie against Napoli on March 12 after a reversion of a thigh problem, while De Jong is set to be a major doubt.
The Spanish club have currently lost three of their four main midfielders to injury and may be forced to dig even deeper into their academy to fill the voids.
Barcelona are already without Gavi for the remainder of the campaign after the midfielder tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in November 2023.
Barcelona manager Xavi has called the severity of Frenkie de Jong and Pedri's injury a 'sad one' for the club as the duo won't be available for their next matches.
Speaking to the reporters, Xavi said that they would get to know more about the injuries in the coming days, but expects De Jong and Pedri to be out for a long time.
"It is a sad day," Xavi declared.
He added; "We'll know more about their injuries between today and tomorrow, but it doesn't look good. We were affected by that and I imagine that both will be out for several matches".
Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona in brief
On a tense Sunday at Athletic Club, Barcelona's desires to tighten the race for the La Liga title were dashed in a goalless stalemate.
This draw came as a significant setback for the Catalan giants, who had eyed this match as a chance to reduce the lead of Real Madrid and overtake Girona for the second position.
Athletic Club, riding high on a remarkable 10-game home winning streak across all competitions, aimed to continue their impressive form. They currently sit fifth in the league with 50 points, and sought to close the gap on Atletico Madrid, who are fourth with 55 points.
The game saw a shift in speed in the second half, with Athletic turning up the pressure.
Inaki Williams and Alex Berenguer emerged as significant threats, pushing the Barcelona defense to its limits.
Despite their efforts and a more forceful attack, the Athletic club couldn't break through the strong Barcelona backline, which stood firm to ensure the visitors walked away with an important point.
Barca remain third in La Liga, one point behind Girona and eight behind league leaders Real Madrid. Having been eliminated from the Copa del Rey and Spanish Supercopa, Europe is their one remaining hope of cup glory this season.
What's next?
Barcelona will be seen next in action at home to Mallorca in La Liga on Friday, March 8 before hosting Napoli in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie on March 12.
What happened?
De Jong was stretchered out of the field in the 26th minute after landing awkwardly on his right foot following a challenge.
The former Ajax player went down in pain after an uneasy landing as he contested for a header with Athletic Club's Unai Gomez.
As the medical team checked his ankle, it appeared as if the midfielder would be able to walk off the pitch unaided, but shortly went back down and had to be taken off the pitch on a medical cart.
On the other hand, Pedri also had to make way in tears after sustaining a muscular injury following an attempted pass.
De Jong's ankle injury looked a lot more critical than Pedri's muscular issue. Both men will undergo tests with the club's medical team later this week, with Xavi sweating on the fitness of two key players at a vital stage of the season.
Pedri is likely to be completely ruled out of Barcelona's Champions League round of 16 second-leg tie against Napoli on March 12 after a reversion of a thigh problem, while De Jong is set to be a major doubt.
The Spanish club have currently lost three of their four main midfielders to injury and may be forced to dig even deeper into their academy to fill the voids.
Barcelona are already without Gavi for the remainder of the campaign after the midfielder tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in November 2023.
Barcelona manager Xavi has called the severity of Frenkie de Jong and Pedri's injury a 'sad one' for the club as the duo won't be available for their next matches.
Speaking to the reporters, Xavi said that they would get to know more about the injuries in the coming days, but expects De Jong and Pedri to be out for a long time.
"It is a sad day," Xavi declared.
He added; "We'll know more about their injuries between today and tomorrow, but it doesn't look good. We were affected by that and I imagine that both will be out for several matches".
Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona in brief
On a tense Sunday at Athletic Club, Barcelona's desires to tighten the race for the La Liga title were dashed in a goalless stalemate.
This draw came as a significant setback for the Catalan giants, who had eyed this match as a chance to reduce the lead of Real Madrid and overtake Girona for the second position.
Athletic Club, riding high on a remarkable 10-game home winning streak across all competitions, aimed to continue their impressive form. They currently sit fifth in the league with 50 points, and sought to close the gap on Atletico Madrid, who are fourth with 55 points.
The game saw a shift in speed in the second half, with Athletic turning up the pressure.
Inaki Williams and Alex Berenguer emerged as significant threats, pushing the Barcelona defense to its limits.
Despite their efforts and a more forceful attack, the Athletic club couldn't break through the strong Barcelona backline, which stood firm to ensure the visitors walked away with an important point.
Barca remain third in La Liga, one point behind Girona and eight behind league leaders Real Madrid. Having been eliminated from the Copa del Rey and Spanish Supercopa, Europe is their one remaining hope of cup glory this season.
What's next?
Barcelona will be seen next in action at home to Mallorca in La Liga on Friday, March 8 before hosting Napoli in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie on March 12.