Inigo Martinez Faces Extended Sideline Spell After Fresh Injury Blow in Barbastro Clash
In a stroke of misfortune, Inigo Martinez’s return to the pitch lasted a mere 10 minutes during the Barbastro game on Sunday, as he sustained a fresh muscle injury. This setback comes just as the Barcelona defender was making his comeback after spending the entire month of December recovering from a hamstring injury.
According to Toni Juanmarti, Martinez is now expected to miss an additional five weeks, sidelining him for crucial upcoming fixtures. Here is the list of encounters he is likely to miss:
- vs Osasuna (neutral) – January 11, Supercopa semifinal
- vs Atletico/Real Madrid (neutral) – January 14, Supercopa final
- vs Unknown Opponent – January 17, Copa del Rey round of 16
- vs Betis (away) – January 21, La Liga
- Copa del Rey quarterfinals (conditional on progression)
- vs Villarreal (home) – January 27, La Liga
- vs Osasuna (home) – January 30, La Liga
- vs Alaves (away) – February 4, La Liga
- vs Granada (home) – February 11, La Liga
In total, Martinez could miss nine games, with the team aiming to have him fully fit for the Champions League first knockout round against Napoli on February 21. The challenge now lies in managing his recovery to ensure his optimal condition for the crucial stages of the season.
