Barcelona homegrown star leaves Daegu FC clash injured

Barcelona wrapped up their pre-season tour of Asia with a convincing win over Daegu FC, but the joy was dampened by an injury scare to one of their brightest defensive talents, Pau Cubarsi. 

The young centre-back was forced to come off in the final moments of the match after suffering discomfort in his left leg, casting early doubt over his availability for the upcoming Joan Gamper Trophy and the La Liga opener against Mallorca.

Early signs of discomfort

Cubarsi had been showing signs of discomfort prior to his substitution. During a second-half attacking sequence, he appeared to strain his left calf and continued playing despite the visible discomfort. 

However, by the 87th minute, he could no longer continue and signalled to the bench before going to ground. 

The sight of the homegrown defender lying on the wet turf immediately concerned Hansi Flick, who reacted by putting his hands to his head.

Medical team rules out muscle injury

Pau Cuabrsi was replaced by Hector Fort. (Picture courtesy: FC Barcelona Official Website)

Barça’s medical staff rushed onto the rain-soaked pitch to assess the defender. Cubarsi pointed to his left tibia, indicating the specific area where he felt pain after removing his shin guard and lowering his socks. 

Thankfully, as reported by SPORT, the defender did not suffer a muscular injury, instead, he received a blow to his left knee, which is a far less severe outcome in the short term.

He was replaced by Hector Fort in the 85th minute and managed to walk off the pitch without limping heavily, suggesting that the injury may not be serious. 

Nevertheless, he was fully aware that he couldn’t continue, and Flick checked on his condition as he exited the field.

With the Gamper Trophy against Como and the La Liga curtain-raiser just around the corner, Flick will be hoping for positive news. 

Cubarsi has been a standout performer in pre-season and looks set to play a crucial role in Flick’s plans this season, making this injury scare a moment of genuine concern for the Barça camp.