Barcelona have been hit with a devastating injury blow to record signing Ousmane Dembele, and Blaugrana fans will be even more annoyed when they see footage of him during the warm-up.
The 20 year-old, who could eventually cost Barcelona €150 million once bonuses are added on, looked to have picked up a hamstring injury in the late 2-1 win over Getafe on Saturday.
Image: PA
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But it isn't a hamstring injury and instead of being out for the usual four to six weeks, which would be somewhat manageable for Barcelona, the French forward will actually be out of action for three to four months with a statement on the Barcelona website confirming the severity of the injury:
"The tests have come back following first team player Ousmane Dembélé has ruptured the tendon in his femoral bicep in his left thigh. The player will be operated on by Dr. Sakari Orava in Finland this week. He is expected to be out for between three and a half months and four months."
There were suggestions that the injury was caused as a result of Getafe's pitch, however footage of the former Borussia Dortmund star in the warm-up makes it seem like he suffered a niggle ahead of the game.
Check it out:
As seen in the above footage, Dembele holds his thigh when the Barcelona squad are taking part in their stretches, but he proceeded to play the game and has now aggravated the injury to the point where he will now be on the sidelines for a lengthy spell.
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While footballers after often criticised for being "soft" and not playing through the pain barrier, this is proof that if they feel something tighten, it's not a wise move for them to try and play on - they should alert the medical staff right away.
Manager Ernesto Valverde had the following to say about the injury to Dembele in a press conference on Monday.
"What's clear is that this is a player who has never had a muscular problem, he doesn't have the experience to recognise the little pains.
"A player at that speed that makes this backheel move getting hurt, it's not normal but it's one of the possibilities. A veteran player might not have done that.
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"It's the hardest thing for a player, he's injured and can't help. He has to be very patient, it's what he has to do.
"It's just one more problem he will encounter in his career. You never want it to happen but we've all had muscle problems, knee injuries. You have to look at it from a long-term perspective."
Topics: Barcelona, Ousmane Dembele