Dani Olmo: goal and muscle injury in 27 minutes against Osasuna

FC Barcelona was completing a perfect first half against Osasuna, until Dani Olmo's injury in the 25th minute. The attacking midfielder had scored, from a penalty, the partial 2-0 in the 21st minute and his seventh in LaLiga, after a repeat of a penalty that had previously been saved by Sergio Herrera, but the invasion by Moncayola prompted VAR intervention. Four minutes later, a sharp pain in the right thigh forced the player from Terrassa to call for medical assistance.

Dani lay on the grass and, when he got up with difficulty, Hansi Flick did not hesitate to call Fermín López to replace the number 20. The 26-year-old player had just played 108 minutes with Spain in the quarterfinals of the Nations League against the Netherlands and, unfortunately, suffered his third muscle setback of the season this Thursday. Initially, it could be a strain, but the attacking midfielder is very unlikely to be available next Sunday against Girona.

Dani Olmo and his eternal 'jinx' with injuries

Now, the spotlight is on the rematch against Atlético Madrid next Wednesday at the Metropolitano, for the return leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals. Olmo was a starter in the first leg in Montjuïc (4-4) and had been in the XI in the last three league matches, as well as in the return leg of the Champions round of 16 against Benfica (3-1). The Catalan seemed to be at his best moment, but once again a physical setback stands in his way.

So far this season, Dani has missed 4 Champions matches and 6 league matches due to injury. In the 23-24 season, he was also out for 25 matches with RB Leipzig due to two long-term injuries, while in the 22-23 season he had also spent more than three months in the German team's medical room. In the 24-25 season, fortunately, he has not suffered any serious setbacks, but his injury history is undoubtedly a major concern for Barça as they head into the final stretch of the season.

Hansi Flick Advances Dani Olmo's Outage

In the post-match press conference, Hansi Flick spoke about the Terrassa native's physical condition and the expected length of time he would be sidelined following his right thigh injury. "It wasn't the most appropriate day to play after the break. It wasn't opportune. But we have three more points. The injury isn't good, we don't know how long he'll be out, but it could be two or three weeks... the price for these three points is very high," concluded the German coach.

Thus, Dani Olmo will likely miss the La Liga matches against Granada and Betis (both at home), the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals against Atlético Madrid (Metropolitano), and the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against Borussia Dortmund (Montjuïc). In total, there will be around four matches, all of them key for Barça on their way to the treble.