According to a report by Barca Universal on Thursday October 22, 2026, after more than a month out with a left quadriceps injury, Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen will not play in Sunday's El Clasico versus Real Madrid.

Initially, the Danish center back was expected to be out for four to six weeks after sustaining the injury during Barcelona's La Liga match against Sevilla on September 19. Nevertheless, he may require more time to recover.

No official return date has been announced, but SPORT claims that Barcelona is now considering the idea that Christensen could be out for about two months.

The Sevilla match was the unfortunate incident that caused the defender's injury; he was visibly uncomfortable and was eventually substituted by Gerard Martin. Later on, tests by medical professionals verified that he had hurt his left quadriceps.

At first, Barcelona declined to give a precise recovery timeline, saying that his availability would be contingent upon how far along he was in his rehabilitation. As a result of his history of muscle issues, the club is being extra cautious.

This season, Christensen has already sat out four games—two in the league against Real Betis and Getafe and two in the Champions League against Galatasaray and PSG.

Even after El Clasico, the veteran defender may not be available for Barcelona's Champions League match against Aston Villa on November 3.

On November 8, the Catalan side will travel to Atletico Madrid for a tough league match, and whether or not Christensen will be able to play depends on how slowly his recovery is going.

After the international break, Barcelona will host Villarreal on November 22. If the cautious recovery schedule is needed, that fixture could provide a more realistic chance for his return.

While Barcelona is keeping an eye on his health, they have not yet set a specific date for when he will be able to play again, so an earlier return is still possible.

Barcelona is already worried about their defense without Christensen, especially with European and domestic fixtures looming and other options like Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia not available.

If the club wants to keep the defender's season from getting even more derailed by another muscle injury, they should let him fully recover before sending him back out on the field.