Athletic Club’s Unai Simon defends Barcelona centre-back publicly following his recent injury | OneFootball

FC Barcelona will now see many key players head over to their respective National team camps for international duty. Following the big win over Atletico Madrid in La Liga, it is now time for the international break to take over. While it has cost Barcelona in the past, the club remains hopeful this time around.

Competing on various fronts these season, the Catalan giants are seen as strong contenders for various titles. La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League are now all competitions in which Barcelona are hoping to go all the way.

However, right before the start of the international break, Spanish defender Inigo Martinez reportedly got injured. Now, as a result of that injury, the Barcelona centre-back has been unable to travel with the Spanish National team.

With certain outlets questioning this development and even questioning if his injury was possibly exaggerated, Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon came to his defense. As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, the Athletic Club shot-stopper stood up for the Barcelona defender in his absence:

“I haven’t spoken to him, but I think it’s wrong to doubt a player like Íñigo Martínez. If the club has issued a medical report saying he’s injured, it’s disrespectful not to trust the player and to call into question the medical staff of Barcelona.”

He went on to state that the 33-year-old centre-back really wanted to join the Spanish team during this international break, and that it is disrespectful to question him the way that the media is doing:

“He really wanted to come here, but he couldn’t because of his injury. It’s disrespectful, and he doesn’t deserve it from a teammate.”

Unfortunately for Barcelona, Inigo Martinez was not the only casualty after the game against Atletico Madrid. Marc Casado, another important player for Hansi Flick’s team, suffered a much more severe injury and it is one that could keep him sidelined for around two months.