Barcelona fear losing key midfielder for El Clasico due to muscle issue | OneFootball

Injury concerns continue to mount for Hansi Flick at the start of the 2025/26 season. The FC Barcelona coach has already had to cope without several key players, including Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Joan Garcia, Alejandro Balde, Robert Lewandowski, Fermin Lopez, and Gavi. Now, Dani Olmo appears set to join that worrying list.

The 27-year-old midfielder was forced to abandon Spain’s training session at Las Rozas midway through on Thursday after feeling discomfort in his left calf. Medical tests later confirmed that he has suffered a muscle injury, an area that had already caused him minor issues earlier in the week.

According to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Olmo arrived at the national team camp with signs of muscle fatigue, which Barcelona had already reported.

His workload was being carefully managed, and he was only expected to take part in part of Thursday’s session when the pain resurfaced. He subsequently withdrew from training and underwent an MRI scan, which confirmed the muscle problem.

As a result, the Terrassa-born midfielder will miss Spain’s upcoming matches against Georgia in Elche and Bulgaria in Valladolid. He stayed in Las Rozas on Friday to receive treatment from his physiotherapist, the same specialist he works with at Barcelona, before returning to Catalonia.

Olmo is scheduled to undergo further tests on Monday at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, after which the club will release an official update with a confirmed diagnosis and estimated recovery time.

For now, as per Mundo Deportivo, his participation in the upcoming El Clásico against Real Madrid remains doubtful. Barcelona have not ruled it out completely, but internally, there is concern that if a muscle tear is confirmed, Olmo could be sidelined for around three weeks.

Before facing Real Madrid, the Catalans must also take on Girona in La Liga and Olympiacos in the Champions League, meaning his absence could extend over several important fixtures.

Despite the situation, both Barcelona and the RFEF have maintained close and transparent communication throughout the process, following the cooperation agreement between sporting directors Deco and Aitor Karanka.

The club has emphasized that there is no disagreement over the handling of Olmo’s case, and that his recovery plan will be supervised by Barcelona’s medical team to ensure a safe and efficient return to play.