Barcelona suffer fresh defensive setback as Xavi Espart ruled out for seven weeks
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The story in brief
15-second readBarcelona's teenage defender Xavi Espart is ruled out for approximately seven weeks after injuring his right ankle during the 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid on Sunday, according to Football Today. Espart was substituted in the 29th minute after experiencing discomfort. The club confirmed the extent of the injury on Monday, estimating a seven-week recovery period.
The full picture
Barcelona's teenage defender Xavi Espart is ruled out for approximately seven weeks after injuring his right ankle during the 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid on Sunday, according to Football Today. Espart was substituted in the 29th minute after experiencing discomfort. The club confirmed the extent of the injury on Monday, estimating a seven-week recovery period. This setback complicates manager Hansi Flick's defensive selection.
Espart's absence is expected to impact Barcelona's upcoming fixtures, including La Liga matches and Champions League meetings with Aston Villa and Manchester City. He is likely to miss nine first-team fixtures, with his recovery potentially extending until mid-December. The injury adds to Flick's existing defensive concerns, with Andreas Christensen, Jules Kounde, and Eric Garcia already sidelined.
Espart has been a valuable asset for Barcelona, starting nine matches across La Liga and the Champions League, and has shown versatility playing at left-back. His injury forces Flick to redistribute minutes among the remaining defenders, including Joao Cancelo. The team is also dealing with other injuries, such as those to Dani Olmo and Roony Bardghji, adding to Flick's selection concerns.
At a glance
- Reporting status
- Reported
- Original publisher
- Football Today ↗
- Source published
- Clubs covered
- Barcelona, Real Madrid
Attributed publisher reporting. Kickjolly has not independently confirmed the claim.
Source context
Barcelona have suffered another injury setback after teenage defender Xavi Espart was ruled out for approximately seven weeks following Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid. The 19-year-old sustained an injury to his right ankle during El Clasico at the Camp Nou, forcing him off before the half-hour mark. Espart went to ground after experiencing discomfort and was unable to continue, with Alejandro Balde replacing him in the 29th minute. Barcelona subsequently confirmed the extent of the problem in a statement on Monday, estimating that the youngster would require around seven weeks to recover. The diagnosis represents a significant blow for Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, who is already dealing with several injuries across his squad.
Source excerpt · Football Today
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3 reports grouped by topic; up to eight shown, newest first. Compare the original reports below; they may describe different developments or rely on the same information. Grouping does not establish confirmation.
Football Today · reported · 2026-10-26 15:28 UTC
Barcelona suffer fresh defensive setback as Xavi Espart ruled out for seven weeks ↗
Barcelona have suffered another injury setback after teenage defender Xavi Espart was ruled out for approximately seven weeks following Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid. The 19-year-old sustained an injury to his right ankle during El Cla
Barca Universal · reported · 2026-10-26 12:54 UTC
Confirmed: Barcelona star Xavi Espart out for seven weeks with ankle injury after El Clasico ↗
In a major blow, FC Barcelona have confirmed that breakthrough starlet Xavi Espart has sustained an ankle injury that will keep him out of action for the next seven weeks. The 19-year-old La Masia wonderkid sustained the injury during last
Barca Blaugranes · reported · 2026-10-25 20:38 UTC
Xavi Espart forced off against Real Madrid as Barcelona lose another defender to injury ↗
Barcelona suffered yet another injury blow on Sunday in El Clasico as Xavi Espart was forced off on the half hour mark with a problem. Espart started again at right-back for Hansi Flick’s side but picked up a knock early
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