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Barcelona winger Alex Collado is currently on a season-long loan with La Liga side Elche but is expected to miss the next three months of action after suffering a groin injury.
The Catalan giants confirmed that Collado has been sidelined in a statement on the club’s official website.
“Footballer Álex Collado has ruptured the adductor in his right groin. His treatment and progress will be managed jointly by the medical teams at Elche CF and FC Barcelona. His evolution will determine his availability.”
The former Barcelona B captain is expected to be out for three months because of the injury and will not return until April at the earliest, according to Javi Miguel at Diario AS.
Collado’s loan deal with Elche runs until the end of June 2023. There is no purchase option in the contract which means he is due to return to Barcelona at the end of the season. The winger has made nine La Liga appearances for Elche so far in the 2022-23 campaign.
The injury is another setback for a Barcelona loanee. Xavi’s side have just seen midfielder Nico Gonzalez, who is on loan with Valencia, ruled out for three months as he requires surgery on a fractured metatarsal.
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Does Collado Have a Barcelona Future?
Collado opted to leave Barcelona in the summer in search of regular minutes after seeing Raphinha arrive from Leeds United and Ousmane Dembele renew his contract at the club.
The youngster, who has been at Barcelona since the age of 11, spoke about his decision to move away from the Catalan giants at his unveiling. Collado says he left Barca “to continue growing” and made it clear he won’t stay at the club if he will only have a bit-part role, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
“I have a contract with Barcelona until 2024 but now I am focused on having a good season here,” he told reporters. “Next year it will be something else. If I can’t stay there and feel important, I look for minutes elsewhere.”
Collado scored on his Elche debut but hasn’t found the back of the net since for La Liga’s bottom club in what has been a tough season so far for Jorge Almiron’s side.
There had been speculation that Elche could cut short Collado’s loan, mainly for financial reasons, but that has certainly not happened yet. However, Collado’s injury means it’s not clear how many games he will go on to play for Elche before his loan expires.
Injury Comes At Bad Time For Collado
Collado’s injury comes at a bad time for the youngster with the January transfer window now open. The winger had also been contemplating a move away in the winter after receiving interest from Olympiakos and Sassuolo, according to Diario Sport.
However, there seems no chance of a transfer now he has suffered a significant injury that will keep him sidelined for a long spell. The setback could have ramifications for his future too.
Collado’s move away was a chance for the player to continue his development, experience regular first-team football in La Liga and show Xavi that he was worth a spot in his team.
Yet the youngster hasn’t really been able to do that so far this season in a team struggling to stay in the Spanish top flight. Collado will only have a year remaining on his deal when he returns in the summer, meaning Barca will have a big decision to make on the winger at the end of the season.
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