Olmo Injury Puts Clasico Appearance in Doubt
Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo is facing a potential three-week absence due to a soleus muscle injury in his left leg, casting doubt on his availability for the October 26th Clasico against Real madrid.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced Olmo, 27, had withdrawn from the Spain squad on Friday, and he returned to Barcelona the following day. Club sources confirmed on Monday the injury, indicating a likely recovery period of around three weeks, though his return will be monitored based on the injury’s progression.
Olmo initially reported to international duty exhibiting signs of muscle fatigue. While his condition initially improved, he began experiencing discomfort in his left leg during training on Friday. Following further tests and initial treatment with the national team, he was released back to Barcelona, missing Spain’s world Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria.
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente explained at a press conference on Friday, “Dani trained all week, but he came feeling a bit fatigued and some discomfort. Today (Friday) in training, he participated for only 15 minutes and wasn’t comfortable, so we told him to stop training.”
The injury is likely to sideline Olmo for upcoming La Liga and Champions League fixtures, including the October 18th match against Girona and the October 21st tie against olympiacos.
Olmo has contributed one goal and two assists in 10 appearances for Barcelona this season.
His withdrawal from the Spain squad follows a similar situation with teammate Ferran Torres, who also returned to Barcelona on Monday due to muscular overload in his left hamstring. The RFEF stated the decision to withdraw Torres was in line with their policy of prioritizing player health and no risks.
The injuries come after Barcelona announced on October 3rd that Lamine Yamal would be sidelined for up to three weeks with a recurring groin injury, a situation that previously drew criticism from Barcelona manager Hansi Flick regarding Spain’s handling of the young player during a September international break.
