Barcelona defensive mainstay expected to miss Osasuna and Girona clashes – report | OneFootball

Barcelona went into the international break as leaders in La Liga while having a game in hand over their rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

That game in hand is set to take place on March 27, when the Blaugrana face Osasuna at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys – the rescheduled fixture appears set to go through despite both clubs appealing against it.

Three days later, Hansi Flick’s side will take on local rivals Girona in the Catalan derby, in yet another crucial game.

No Inigo Martinez for two matches

However, according to a report from SPORT, Barcelona may have to make do without one of their most important players for the two matches right after the international break.

Indeed, as per the publication, Inigo Martinez is unlikely to recover from his injury in time to face either Osasuna or Girona.

Inigo likely to miss two games. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

The veteran defender suffered a knee injury this past weekend in the 4-2 win against Atletico Madrid, which led to him being withdrawn from the Spain squad having returned to the national team after over a year.

Martinez’s injury is not expected to be serious and a recovery period of two to three weeks has been suggested for the centre-back.

However, as things stand, it appears unlikely that the 33-year-old will be ready in time to face Osasuna or Girona.

This will be a concerning situation for Barça considering that Ronald Araujo is also expected to miss the game against Osasuna as he will still be travelling back from South America after his international assignments with Uruguay.

Martinez has been an integral part of Flick’s team, establishing himself as the preferred starter in defence alongside Pau Cubarsi. The veteran defender even signed a new contract with the club earlier this month.