The defender lasted just 30 minutes before he had to be replaced by Ronald Araujo after hurting his calf
Gerard Pique went off injured in the first half of Barcelona’s La Liga match against Athletic Club.
The centre-back went down after an aerial duel with Alex Berenguer at the half-hour mark of the clash in Bilbao.
He was taken off shortly afterwards and replaced by 22-year-old Ronald Araujo.
What has happened?
Barca coach Ronald Koeman said in his pre-match press conference that the 34-year-old had been suffering from “minor annoyances” but had trained as normal this week.
But the defender has become increasingly unable to finish matches for the Camp Nou outfit.
6 – Gerard Piqué 🇪🇸 has been subbed off six times in his last 13 @LaLigaEN starts for @FCBarcelona, as many as in his 111 previous starting XI appearances. Injury. pic.twitter.com/Dzswol6NwE
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) August 21, 2021
This is the sixth time he has been taken off in his last 13 starts in La Liga, which is the same number of times he had been substituted in his previous 111 starting XI appearances.
Following the game, Barca confirmed that Pique had suffered a calf problem and will have the injury assessed to determine the extent of the issue.
LATEST NEWS | @3gerardpique has discomfort in his left calf. Further tests are pending to determine the extent of the discomfort. pic.twitter.com/otdecMGe86
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 21, 2021
Pique’s fitness woes
The Spain international’s contribution to Barcelona last season was limited by injuries.
He was kept out for four months with a knee injury in the middle of the campaign but lasted less than a month before being ruled out with another issue.
As a result, Pique made just 18 appearances in La Liga as Koeman’s side finished third in the table.
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