International duty brings sweep of injuries to Barcelona

A handful of Barcelona players suffered injuries while on international duty over the past several days. Severity of the injuries ranges.

Some of the players have minor dings and miss minimal time. Others require surgery, and could miss more than a month, perhaps raising questions over fitness for the upcoming World Cup in November.

The list of names includes defense duo Ronald Araújo and Jules Koundé. Joining them are Dutch contingent Memphis Depay and Frenkie de Jong as well as the oft-injured Ousmane Dembélé. In terms of duration, the most significant of the injuries is Ronald Araújo. According to Mundo Deportivo, Araújo elected to have surgery to his upper thigh after he picked up some injury just 40 seconds into Uruguay’s Friday loss against Iran.

Barcelona injuries on international duty

The recovery time for this surgery is unclear at the moment. However, there is a real chance he is not healthy enough to compete in the World Cup come mid-November.

At the same time, Barcelona teammate Jules Koundé will miss around a month with a hamstring injury. Memphis Depay, whose name is on the transfer block for the winter, is in a similar position. The Dutch forward picked up thigh problem’s in the Netherlands’ UEFA Nations League tilt with Belgium this past Friday. His recovery time should last a month.

Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde, Ronald Araújo and Memphis Depay all seem to have picked up injuries this international break 😳 pic.twitter.com/fFOGdyxv9S

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 23, 2022

The last two of the Barcelona injuries on international duty are much less severe. Frenkie de Jong’s knock may sideline the midfielder for a week. For Dembélé, doctors predict nothing too major. Yet, he did stay on the bench in France’s UEFA Nations League finale against Denmark, which the French lost 2-0.

World Cup year

In the 2022/23 campaign, international duty plays a key role for European clubs. The World Cup shoved in the middle of the season compresses the schedule, forcing more out of the players. Therefore, any injuries put a significant hamper on the team.

Barcelona, off to a strong start under Xavi in his first full campaign as manager, lacks at strong defensive depth. The losses of Koundé and Araújo for extended periods of time could put s strain on the campaign.

Barcelona is next in action against Mallorca following the international break. A pair of clashes in the Champions League with Inter Milan and the first Clásico of the season are just around the corner.

PHOTO: IMAGO / Jan Huebner