FC Barcelona has suffered a five-week injury KO according to AS, which cited anonymous sources.
According to ASwhich cited anonymous sources, an FC Barcelona first team star suffered a five-week injury blow during Sunday’s 5-2 Spanish Super Cup final win over Real Madrid that could affect the club’s transfer plans in the ongoing transfer window.
Center back Inigo Martinez was brought off approaching the half hour mark not long after wonderkid Lamine Yamal had ruled out Kylian Mbappe’s strike inside five minutes for Los Blancos.
The Basque was yellow carded for mouthing from the dugout as Barca led 4-1 after mounting a comeback for the ages. And while Inigo will have been happy overall with winning his and Hansi Flick’s first piece of silverware with the Blaugrana, there is disappointment elsewhere
That’s because the 33-year-old has torn his right hamstring according to ASwhich will temporarily break up one of Europe’s best defensive partnerships he formed with La Masia pearl Pau Cubarsi for an expected timeframe of five weeks.
Inigo was replaced by Ronald Araujo, who has only just returned from injury himself and was once more sensational in keeping Vinicius Jr. at bay as we have seen in past Clasicos.
Furthermore, Inigo’s setback could have a big say in Araujo’s future, which local newspapers in Italy have placed at their country’s most successful Serie A club Juventus.
Both La Gazzetta dello Sport and La Repubblica have said that Araujo has agreed to join Juventus while the latter outlet reported that Barca had accepted the ‘Old Lady’s’ proposal of an initial paid loan with an obligatory purchase option.
On Saturday, Catalan journalist Joan Fontes reported that the Uruguayan told his fellow captains he won’t renew his contract in order to join Juve, while also informing Flick that he didn’t want to play against Madrid.
That obviously didn’t come to pass, and neither might a switch to Italy considering Flick will be left short staffed now in a key part of the 2024/2025 where catching up to the Madrid teams at the top of the table plus guaranteeing progression in the Copa del Rey and Champions League are of key importance.
Barca might not even accept an improved offer past the $36 million Juve offered according to MARCAand it’ll be interesting to see how Araujo is received by Culers on Wednesday in Montjuic when Real Betis come to town in the cup.
