Barcelona have revealed that Fermin Lopez is facing three weeks on the sidelines due to the thigh injury that he suffered during a training session with Spain Under-21s on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old had a busy summer, representing Spain at both Euro 2024 and the Olympics, helping the national side triumph in both competitions, meaning that he returned to Barcelona later than the rest of his teammates.
Fermin has made three appearances at club level this term, featuring off the bench against Athletic Bilbao, Rayo Vallecano and Real Valladolid in La Liga, and he was due to represent Spain Under-21s against Scotland Under-21s and Hungary Under-21s during the current international break.
However, the midfielder suffered a thigh problem during a training session on Tuesday, and Barcelona have now revealed that the Spaniard is facing a period of around three weeks on the sidelines.
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Fermin suffers thigh injury while on international duty
"The tests carried out have shown that Fermín Lopez has a muscle injury in the anterior rectus of the left thigh. The approximate downtime will be around three weeks," read a statement on Barcelona's official website.
Fermin made the breakthrough into the Barcelona first team last season, and a productive campaign saw him manage 11 goals in 41 appearances for the club in all competitions.
A three-week recovery would take Fermin until September 25, meaning that he would miss Barcelona's next three league games against Girona, Villarreal and Getafe, in addition to their Champions League opener with Monaco.
The midfielder could then potentially be available to return against Osasuna on September 28, which comes before the team's second Champions League match of the season against Young Boys on home soil.
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Which other players are currently unavailable for Barcelona?
Ansu Fati, Ronald Araujo, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Andreas Christensen and Marc Bernal are currently on the sidelines for Barcelona alongside Fermin.
Eric Garcia was able to make his return from a foot injury in Barcelona's 7-0 success over Real Valladolid last time out, though, with the Spaniard featuring as a second-half substitute.
The Catalan giants have lost Bernal for the remainder of the season due to a serious knee injury, but De Jong and Gavi are making progress in their injury recoveries, and it will be like two new signings for Barcelona once the pair have returned.
Pedri, Marc Casado and Dani Olmo started as the midfield three against Real Valladolid, while Pablo Torre, who has replaced Fermin in the Spain Under-21s squad, is another option for Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick in that area of the field.
