Dani Olmo ruled out of Barcelona's next match due to new injury

The Spanish player will miss Barca’s match against Benfica.

Due to a calf injury, Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo will not play in Tuesday’s Champions League match against Benfica, the LaLiga team said on Sunday. Since moving from RB Leipzig to Barça, Olmo has made 18 appearances, tallying six goals and three assists.

Despite drawing to Getafe in LaLiga on Saturday, Barcelona are currently third in the league with five points adrift of second-place Atletico Madrid.

Meanwhile, Barcelona are in second place in the Champions League standings after winning five of their last six games.

“Dani Olmo has a right soleus [lower calf muscle] strain. He is out for the next match and his return will be determined by his recovery,” the club said.

The injury is a setback considering that the nation’s highest sports court recently granted interim playing registrations to Olmo and fellow summer signing Pau Víctor.

LaLiga and the Spanish Football Federation had banned Barcelona from enrolling Olmo and Pau Victor for the second half of the campaign after they failed to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations prior to the deadline of December 31. Initially, they were authorized to play for the first half of the season.

🚨⚠️ Dani Olmo has a strain in the soleus muscle of his right leg and will miss the next match, Barça confirms.“Olmo’s return to training will depend on his progress”, per club statement. pic.twitter.com/d8YeeZ6p8I

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 19, 2025

After the team went to the Spanish government for assistance, the National Sports Council overturned the ruling and permitted the club to temporarily register the players pending the outcome of Barcelona’s appeal.

It would be a huge lift for Barcelona if they could defeat Benfica and advance automatically to the next round of the competition.

Hansi Flick and his team will be devastated by Olmo’s absence, especially after an outstanding performance against Real Betis in the Copa del Rey. The former RB Leipzig player has been impressive under the German coach and has made an instant impact at the club.

When the Barcelona manager speaks to the media on Monday at his press conference, he is probably going to give a statement on Olmo and how many more games he could miss.

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