Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde believes Ousmane Dembele tore a hamstring muscle during the La Liga champions’ 2-0 defeat to Celta Vigo on Saturday.
The 21-year was substituted just six minutes into the clash, with the club later confirming he had suffered a hamstring problem that would be assessed on Sunday.
Valverde revealed the likely extent of the injury, which looks set to rule Dembele out of Barca’s Champions League semi-final second leg at Liverpool.
“With Dembele, it looks like a tear,” he said. “We had already noticed during the play that something was not right.
“We were worried quickly because it seems like a muscular tear.
“It is certainly not muscle fatigue because the other day he played very little [in Barca’s Champions League win over Liverpool on Wednesday].
“These things happen and as a coach I do not have an explanation.”
Barca travel to Anfield on Tuesday with a 3-0 first-leg advantage to protect against a Liverpool side who suffered their own injury issue on Saturday.
[BREAKING NEWS] O.Dembélé has a hamstring injury in his right leg. He’ll undergo tests tomorrow to determine the exact extent of the injury. pic.twitter.com/q3Ze4JijJE
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 4, 2019
The Premier League side saw star man Mohamed Salah suffer a head injury in their last-gasp win over Newcastle.
Like with Dembele the extent of the injury to the Egyptian is not yet known, though Tuesday’s semi-final seems likely to be missing a couple of star names, with Roberto Firmino also likely to miss out for the Reds.
Dembele’s injury could see him ruled out for the rest of the season, though the club could still be active on June 1 should they see off Liverpool and reach the Champions League final.
Barcelona still have the Copa del Rey final against Valencia on May 25 as well, with two matches remaining in the La Liga season as they look to close out their title-winning campaign in style.
Be the first to comment