Barcelona are set to lose one of their most promising youngsters for several months, after Angel Alarcon picked up a serious muscle injury.
Alarcon, just 18, had only recovered from a knee injury at the start of the season, as per Sport, but now a second problem this season will require him to undergo surgery.
It is not yet clear which muscle is the issue, but he is likely to miss around 3-4 months in his recovery. While most frustrating of all is that he will not be able to help Rafa Marquez’s Barca Atletic side in the final matches of the season, timing-wise it could have been worse as he will likely only miss a month of season. Should his timeline work out as planned, Alarcon would be back at the beginning of September.
Alarcon has the blessing of first-team manager Xavi Hernandez, having been called up and sent on for the first team to get five appearances this season. He has also featured for Barca Atletic and the under-19 side. Recently he renewed his contract, signing on until 2025.
It does however prevent Alarcon from doing preseason, where he may well have had a chance to be able to join with the first team and impress Xavi. Alejandro Balde took a similar course last season.