Barcelona suffer major injury blow ahead of El Clasico vs Real Madrid

Real Madrid are preparing to face Barcelona at the Spotify Camp Nou in the first El Clasico of the season later this week.

Hansi Flick’s men have a perfect record in the league so far and a six-point advantage over their arch-rivals ahead of the game.

However, they are coming into the Clasico on the back of a 4-2 loss to PSG in the Champions League, which may have disrupted their momentum.

Los Blancos’ upcoming El Clasico against Barça could take place without Dani Olmo after the Spain international picked up an injury at the Parc des Princes.

According to Diario AS, initial assessments suggest the 28-year-old Barça superstar has suffered a possible left adductor tear.

The midfielder is expected to undergo an MRI scan on Wednesday to confirm the diagnosis.

Olmo started against PSG ahead of Fermin Lopez, marking his 100th appearance for Barcelona, but had to be withdrawn after a challenge from Vitinha.

He immediately indicated that he could not continue and was replaced by Fermin Lopez in the 27th minute.

Although Barcelona have not confirmed the extent of the injury, his participation in Sunday’s Clasico appears highly unlikely.

The midfielder previously suffered an adductor problem during the 2024-25 season, which kept him out for approximately three weeks.

His injury adds to an already growing injury list for Barça, with Andreas Christensen, Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde also currently unfit.

The Frenchman is the only player on the list who has a chance of returning to action against Jose Mourinho’s team.

Olmo is a crucial player for Hansi Flick and Barcelona, and Madrid would be glad to have one less headache to worry about.

The Spain international offers Barça creativity between the lines, intelligent movement in midfield and the ability to turn games on their heads.

Olmo has always tended to perform well in Clasicos since his return to Barça, and his absence is good news for Madrid.

However, his replacement, Fermin Lopez, is equally potent and brings a different kind of energy for Madrid to contend with.

Madrid will be looking to exploit any uncertainty in Barcelona’s line-up while attempting to close the six-point gap between the rivals.

Nevertheless, Barcelona still possess enough attacking quality to cause serious problems, particularly through Lamine Yamal and their midfield combinations.

Los Blancos need to play a perfect game to get the victory against Flick’s Barça on Sunday, and it remains to be seen how things pan out.