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Barcelona have been rocked by news that Ansu Fati picked up a knee injury in Saturday’s 5-2 win over Real Betis in La Liga at the Camp Nou.
LATEST NEWS ‼ Tests carried out this afternoon have shown that Ansu Fati has an internal meniscus tear in his left knee. The treatment to be followed will be determined in the coming days.
The 18-year-old started the game in attack but was replaced by captain Lionel Messi at half-time by manager Ronald Koeman with the game level at 1-1.
Barcelona have since confirmed Fati has a knee problem and will undergo further tests to determined the severity of the problem. It’s not clear how long he will be out for, but it could be a case of months rather than weeks, according to Richard Martin at Reuters.
Ansu Fati has ruptured the meniscus in his left knee. Ouch. No timeframe for return at the moment but it’s normally at least two months out.
The Catalan giants will be hoping the problem is not too serious. Fati has had a strong start to the season for the club, scoring five times and contributing two assists in all competitions.
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Koeman Talks Ansu Fati Substitution
Koeman spoke about his decision to take off Fati at half-time after the game and admitted the youngster had picked up a problem in the first half, as reported by Marca.
The Barcelona boss explained, “he had some niggles at the break and we didn’t want to risk him.” Messi came on and helped turn the game in Barcelona’s favor, scoring twice to help the team win 5-2.
The only good news for Barca is that the injury comes at a good time. La Liga now pauses for an international break with the Catalan giants not in action again until they take on Atletico Madrid on November 21.
Ansu to Miss Spain Games
The injury means Fati will miss Spain’s forthcoming fixtures. The teenager had been called up for the games against the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany.
Spain boss Luis Enrique had been full of praise for the Barca forward after announcing his squad on Friday, as reported by Sport.
I have seen him very well, he never ceases to amaze me. No one would think that he is an 18-year-old player. He interprets game situations very well, he knows how to play in relation to his teammates, play in one or two touches, he has goals, defensive work … . You have to take care of him and develop all his skills as a person and as a player. What I see on the field I like, I see many possibilities.
Yet Enrique and Spain will have to do without the talented youngster for the time being. Barca also look set to miss Fati for some important games. The Catalan giants face Atletico Madrid in La Liga and Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League straight after the international break.
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Barcelona Rocked by Ansu Fati Knee Injury Blow