Barcelona have received terrible news during their match against Real Madrid this Sunday, October 25.

The bad news is that Xavi Espart, the versatile full-back in Hansi Flick’s squad, picked up an injury and had to be replaced by Alejandro Balde.

Espart’s injury means he now joins Roony Bardghji, Andreas Christensen, Jules Koundé, Dani Olmo, and Eric García on Barcelona’s injury list, adding to the team’s concerns ahead of a busy schedule over the coming weeks.

Xavi Espart Forced Off With Ankle Injury in Barcelona vs. Real Madrid

Around the 30-minute mark, Espart felt ankle discomfort, which had already been bothering him from previous issues. He had to go to the ground and ask to be substituted, allowing Balde to come on for him.

At the time of writing, no detailed information about Espart’s injury has emerged because the match is still underway. However, the Blaugrana club posted about their academy graduate, saying the Spotify Camp Nou crowd rose to its feet to applaud him as he left the pitch.

The club also added a key message, confirming that the injury’s severity remains unknown. “Hopefully, it’s nothing serious,” Barcelona’s official Spanish-language X (Twitter) account wrote.

Espart has been a key player for Hansi Flick’s side this season and has already featured in eight of Barcelona’s 10 La Liga matches. During those appearances, he has scored one goal and provided two assists.

He has also made one Champions League appearance, scoring against Paris Saint-Germain on October 20 in Barcelona’s 4-2 league-phase defeat.

According to Transfermarkt, he has a market value of €25 million and is under contract with Barcelona until June 30, 2030. He signed his most recent contract extension on October 8 of this year.

Espart’s importance to Barcelona’s squad lies in his versatility. Although he is right-footed, he can play comfortably at left-back or right-back, a quality he shares with his Barcelona teammate João Cancelo. In fact, Espart played as a right-back against PSG in the Champions League match in which he scored.

Flick will have to figure out how to approach the upcoming matches without what appears to be his preferred left-back option, as Barcelona face a busy schedule over the coming weeks, including several challenging fixtures.

These include a match against Aston Villa on November 3, Atlético Madrid on November 8, and Villarreal on Sunday, November 22. Before that, Barcelona must face Deportivo Alavés on October 31. They will then return to Champions League action on November 25 against Slavia before closing out the month away against Deportivo La Coruña on November 29.