Barcelona have been hit by an injury blow to key playmaker Dani Olmo ahead of their next game against Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.
Olmo complained of muscular discomfort in his calf after featuring as a substitute in the LaLiga draw against Getafe on Saturday and Barca have now confirmed that he will be out of the midweek match against the Portuguese side.
Barcelona, who are now third in the La Liga table and five points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, can qualify automatically for the next stage of the Champions League against Benfica.
However, the loss of Olmo will be a blow for Hansi Flick’s side – especially after his impressive showing against Real Betis in the Copa del Rey.
Flick is likely to give an update on how much time that Olmo is likely to miss at his press conference for the Benfica clash on Monday.
Barca were only granted provisional permission to register Dani Olmo and Pau Victor by the Spanish national sports council (CSD) at the start of the month.
The players, both summer signings, were only registered for the first half of the season as Barcelona could not meet LaLiga’s wage cap restrictions.
They had initially been rejected by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and LaLiga in their efforts to register the duo.
However, the CSD stepped in on January 8 following an appeal by the club to grant a precautionary measure and allow the pair to play in the short term.
