Official: Barcelona confirm Achilles tendon injury to captain

In an official statement, FC Barcelona have confirmed that first-team captain Sergi Roberto has suffered an injury to his Achilles tendon ahead of tonight’s game against Villarreal.

Roberto, 31, has already had a couple of spells on the sidelines through injury this season, but had been gaining greater prominence in Xavi’s side in recent weeks.

But, the first captain has suffered a fresh injury setback as reports overnight emerged claiming that he would be out for two weeks after suffering a muscle issue during training on Friday.

Now Barcelona have released a statement confirming the nature of Roberto’s injury, saying:

“First team player Sergi Roberto has a problem in his left Achilles tendon. The player is unavailable for selection and his recovery will dictate his return.”

Roberto joins Alejandro Balde, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Gavi, Inigo Martinez, Raphinha, and Marcos Alonso on the sidelines, handing more injury headaches to manager Xavi Hernandez.

While the club’s statement does not provide the return date, reliable sources suggest that Roberto could be out for two weeks.

As such, he is expected to miss the games against Villarreal, Osasuna, and Deportivo Alaves, with the hope being that he returns for the clash against Granada on February 11.