Barcelona has confirmed that goalkeeper Joan Garcia is set to undergo surgery on a knee injury as the Spaniard faces six weeks on the sidelines, while forward Raphinha faces three weeks out due to a thigh problem.
The Catalan club said on Friday that Garcia will be out for four to six weeks after arthroscopic surgery to repair a tear in his left internal meniscus. The 24-year-old will miss upcoming games against Real Sociedad, PSG and Girona as well as matches against Olympiakos and Real Madrid after the international break.
It’s another huge blow for Barca in a week which has seen Gavi undergo knee surgery and be ruled out for five months and also losing Raphinha to injury. The Brazilian winger was substituted after 65 minutes during Barcelona’s 3-1 victory over Real Oviedo on Thursday.
Softfootball reported that Head coach Hansi Flick confirmed after the game that he had to replace the forward as a precaution due to him feeling discomfort in his leg. The Brazil international played in all seven of Barcelona’s matches this season before sustaining the injury, recording three goals and two assists.
Now, according to official club statement on Barca website, Joan Garcia faces between four and six weeks out, depending on his recovery from surgery. The procedure is the same kind that Gavi had this week, which deduced the midfielder would be ruled out for five months. The post reads:
The player Garcia has suffered a ruptured medial meniscus in his left knee. On Saturday he will undergo an arthroscopic procedure at the hands of Dr. Joan Carles Monllau. He is expected to be out for around 4-6 weeks depending on his recovery.
Wojciech Szczęsny will now come back into the XI to replace Joan Garcia, while young Eder Aller is expected to be his back-up. The 18-year-old was in the squad against Oviedo and will continue as Diego Kochen is with the US at the Under-20 World Cup in Chile.
Garcia, who signed for Barcelona this summer from Espanyol in a deal worth €25million was immediately installed as first-choice goalkeeper by Flick, starting every match this season. The 24-year-old has conceded just five goals in seven matches during the campaign, and Flick defended him after his slack pass led to Oviedo’s opening goal on Thursday.
Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is still sidelined following back surgery. Barcelona are second in La Liga with 16 points from six matches, two points behind Real Madrid. The loss of two key starters presents a major challenge for Barcelona as they prepare for a difficult week.
Their immediate focus is on Sunday’s La Liga encounter with Real Sociedad. Following that, they host the defending champions, PSG on Wednesday in a top-of-the-table Champions League group stage match, a fixture for which Flick will now be significantly shorthanded.
