Barcelona loses captain
Barcelona's first team will be without their Dutch captain, Frenkie de Jong, for five to six weeks due to a muscle injury in his right thigh, the Catalan club announced on Thursday.
"De Jong sustained the injury during training this morning," Barcelona said in a brief statement, adding, "Tests have confirmed that his recovery will take between five and six weeks."
Consequently, De Jong will miss the upcoming league matches against Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla, and Rayo Vallecano at least, as well as the Champions League round of 16 tie against either Newcastle United or defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.
The 28-year-old midfielder will also miss the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Atlético Madrid next Tuesday, where Barcelona will be looking to overturn a four-goal deficit.