The World Cup in Uzbekistan has hit Barça hard. Following their setback in Spain, the Barça team has officially confirmed the injuries of three out of five internationals who were part of Fede Vidal’s last squad before Jesús Velasco took over. Sergio Lozano, Juanjo Catela, and Adolfo Fernández will miss the start of the League on October 13 against ElPozo Murcia. They will train separately until they recover. Goalkeeper Dídac Plana, Antonio Pérez, and Portugal’s Erick Mendonça will be under the orders of Tino Pérez, who recently signed a two-season contract during an event with president Joan Laporta and manager Aureli Mas.
These are just three of the ten Barça players who participated in the 10th FIFA World Cup. It won’t be the last bad news for the new Barcelona coach. As Moroccan Khalid Bouzid and Brazilian Jean Pierre Guisel Costa, known as Pito, are also likely to return injured. Due to the lack of information from the RFEF, Barça has finally revealed Sergio Lozano’s diagnosis. The Barcelona captain has suffered a calf muscle injury in his left leg, sustained during Spain’s debut against Kazakhstan.
The Madrid native will be sidelined for another 3 to 4 weeks, having played only two minutes in the World Cup. After their disappointing elimination by Venezuela in the Round of 16, the most serious injury caused by the FIFA virus is that of Adolfo Fernández. The Colombian forward will be out for 8 to 10 weeks due to pubalgia. After a medical examination, it was also confirmed that Juanjo Catela has a muscle injury to the rectus femoris in his left leg. He will be out for 5 to 6 weeks.
Injuries
Barcelona’s medical staff expects Moroccan Khalid Bouzid to return in the coming days, after missing the quarterfinal match against Brazil due to adductor discomfort. The right-winger, signed from Industrias Santa Coloma, will undergo further tests, but his debut is likely to be delayed by at least a month. Meanwhile, French player Mamadou Touré is celebrating France’s historic qualification for the semifinals against Argentina on Thursday. Within the Barça squad, Pito’s recovery is being closely monitored. The Brazilian Federation confirmed last Friday that, after an MRI, the Barça star has a partial tear of muscle fibers.
The Brazilian is racing against time to play in Wednesday’s semifinal against Ukraine, and if they qualify, he will likely want to play in the final, despite the risks involved. His compatriot Dyego Zuffo is performing at a high level and has no discomfort. Since his debut as Barça’s coach, Tino Pérez has had an unusual season starting on August 26, with only four first-team players and playing friendlies with the Second Division reserve team: Miquel Feixas, Matheus, and new signings Eric Martel and Brazilian center pivot Fits.
On September 25, Alex Yepes returned to training, 11 months after tearing his cruciate ligaments in his right knee during a Champions League match. Sergio González, who is still recovering from a left knee injury and won’t compete until January, has already learned that he won’t be registered for the first part of the season. Although he has loan offers, Tino Pérez will make the final decision during the winter market after evaluating the team’s performance over the next three months, together with Team Manager Jordi Torras.