Barcelona have confirmed that Spanish midfielder Fermin Lopez will be out of action for approximately two weeks after sustaining a calf injury, a setback that comes at a crucial point in the club’s congested schedule.
In a statement released on Thursday, the club said:
“Fermin has a small injury to the soleus muscle in his right leg, and his estimated recovery time is around two weeks.”
The 22-year-old is now set to miss Barcelona’s next three La Liga fixtures against Alaves, Atletico Madrid and Real Betis. His availability for the Champions League home game against Eintracht Frankfurt on December 9 is also uncertain.
Lopez had been growing into a key figure under manager Hansi Flick, becoming a regular starter this season. Last term, he made 46 appearances as Barcelona clinched a domestic treble, though many of those outings came from the bench.
The midfielder’s latest injury comes shortly after he returned from a spell on the sidelines in late September. Since his comeback, he has been in impressive form, contributing five goals and four assists in six matches.
Barcelona, who sit second in La Liga, are also looking to recover from their 3-0 Champions League defeat to Chelsea earlier this week.
