Barcelona’s fears have been confirmed after with midfielder Andres Iniesta has been ruled out for the next six weeks.
Barcelona’s fears have been confirmed after with midfielder Andres Iniesta has been ruled out for the next six weeks.
The Spanish international is regarded as a major player in the team, despite not being in the best form for the last 12 months. Sergi Busquets has also been struggling for form in the last six months. This has put a lot of pressure on Iniesta to deliver the goods this campaign. The 30-year-old is yet to score in seven appearances in the league. He has also contributed little in terms of assists. Despite this, Barcelona have been left with a major headache due to the absence of Iniesta for the coming weeks.
The injury blow is slightly softened by the fact that the international break comes in during this period. Spain will have to do without their enigmatic player, who won them the 2010 World Cup with his goal in the final, for the upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers. Apart from the disappointment of the Iniesta injury, Barcelona also had to contend with their first defeat in the league. The 3-1 defeat against Real Madrid reduces their lead over the archrivals to just one point. Manager Luis Enrique was criticised for his unique selection, which led to former Valencia man Jeremy Mathieu filling in the left back spot.
“I was surprised, but it’s the coach who decides where I play.We started well, but we were really exposed on the counter attack, which is Madrid’s greatest strength. And with their second goal they really hurt us.Although we’ve got tall players on the team – like Pique, Busquets and myself – it’s true we’ve got problems from dead-ball situations. We need to work harder at them,” saidMathieuabout featuring for one of the biggest clubs in the world in a position that he does not prefer much.