Barcelona outraged with Spain over Dani Olmo injury; player also facing blame | OneFootball

Dani Olmo will return to Barcelona later today, carrying a calf injury sustained earlier this week while being with the Spanish national team.

Although he is still to undergo further tests with the club’s medical staff, the initial reports received from Las Rozas are far from encouraging: a tear in the soleus muscle of his left leg, with an estimated recovery time of three to four weeks.

If the diagnosis is confirmed, Olmo would pretty much be ruled out of El Clasico on 26 October and could miss at least five matches – against Girona, Olympiacos, Real Madrid, Elche, and Club Brugge.

Barcelona outraged and confused

According to Javi Miguel of AS, this latest setback has left Barcelona not only outraged but also perplexed.

The frustration and anger stem from the fact that Olmo arrived at Spain’s training camp with a medical report clearly indicating muscle fatigue and discomfort, advising caution.

It was virtually identical to the report that Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen brought with him, which led to his being released from the national team and sent back to Madrid.

Dani Olmo will return to Barcelona from Spain camp. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

In contrast, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente decided to keep Olmo in the squad, despite the midfielder missing four consecutive training sessions with the group and not being fully fit.

Olmo also carrying some blame

The confusion within Barcelona arises from not understanding why Olmo decided to train if he had not completely recovered.

As such, within the club, there is also a degree of criticism directed towards the 27-year-old playmaker himself for not recognising the warning signs his body was sending, possibly driven by fear of losing his place in the squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Whatever the reasoning, the fact remains that Barcelona once again released a player for international duty, only to see him return injured after the same situation occurred just a month ago with Lamine Yamal.

Barça are intent on avoiding a repeat of the situation with Pedri and have urged Spain to monitor his workload as the midfielder is also dealing with fatigue.