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Barcelona superstar Sergio Busquets could miss the UEFA Europa League clash with Manchester United after enduring an ankle injury against Sevilla, Javi Miguel of Diario AS has reported.
The Blaugrana bagged an encouraging 3-0 win over Sevilla in La Liga on Sunday night (February 5). The win, courtesy of goals from Jordi Alba, Gavi and Raphinha, saw them go eight points clear of second-placed Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table.
While Barcelona got the result they wanted, they lost Busquets to an ankle injury just five minutes into the match against Sevilla. Sevilla man Youssef En-Nesyri accidentally caught the 34-year-old’s ankle with his foot, causing him to hobble off the pitch.
According to Miguel, the defensive midfielder could be ruled out of action for as many as 15 days due to the injury. If that is the case, he will certainly miss Barcelona’s upcoming clash with Manchester United in the first leg of the Europa League play-off. The encounter involving the two European heavyweights is set to take place on February 16.
After the game, Xavi provided an update, revealing that tests will be carried out on Monday (February 6) to determine the severity of it.
At the post-match press conference, Xavi said:
“Tests will be performed on Busquets tomorrow. He twisted his ankle. I guess he has a sprain, we’ll see how severe it is.”
Busquets has been in stellar form this season, forming a fruitful pairing with Frenkie de Jong at the base of midfield. With Ousmane Dembele already ruled out of action against Manchester United due to a hamstring injury, Barcelona will hope Miguel’s prediction does not turn out to be true.
Barcelona will have to dig deep to beat an in-form Manchester United in the Europa League
Barcelona and Manchester United, the finalists for the 2009 and 2011 Champions League seasons, are set to meet for the first time in the Europa League this month. The Catalans came out on top in both of those finals, primarily courtesy of the genius Lionel Messi. This season, United have the motive and the means to take revenge in the second-most prestigious cup competition in Europe.
Erik ten Hag’s side have been in excellent form lately, dropping points only twice (one draw, one defeat) in their last 13 games. They have played an impressive brand of football, defended well, and have made the most of their opportunities. Marcus Rashford has emerged as their key man, popping up with 11 goals and four assists since the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Given how confident Manchester United have been and the firepower they have at their disposal, Barca must bring their A-game to have a shot at proceeding to the next round.
