Barcelona dealt injury blow as star man substituted after picking up knock against Las Palmas

Barcelona have suffered a major injury blow in their ongoing La Liga clash against UD Las Palmas as full-back Joao Cancelo had to be replaced after only 10 minutes.

The Portugal international started the game at Estadio Gran Canaria. However, he suffered a knock on his leg and was replaced by Andreas Christensen in the 11th minute. To make matters worse for Xavi's side, the home side took the lead shortly afterward.

Former Barca forward Munir El Haddadi came back to haunt his old club with a 12th-minute strike. The defending La Liga champions are level (1-1) at the time of writing.

Cancelo's potential absence could be worrying for Xavi as the Portuguese full-back has been a key player for La Blaugrana since his loan move from Manchester City on the deadline day of the summer transfer window.

Cancelo has played in both the left-back and right-back positions. He has so far made 22 appearances across competitions, scoring three goals and providing two assists.

Barcelona are reportedly keen on keeping the 29-year-old beyond the expiration of his loan deal in the summer.

La Blaugrana equalized in the 55th minute of the game through Ferran Torres. If the scoreline remains the same, they will climb up to the third spot in the league table.

Barcelona defender Inigo Martinez has been registered for a single season despite having a two-year contract

La Liga president Javier Tebas recently confirmed that Inigo Martinez has been registered for a single season despite signing a two-year-long contract with Barcelona. The veteran completed a free transfer from Athletic Bilbao in the summer.

However, Barca could register Martinez for only one season as they had to comply with La Liga's FFP rules. La Liga president Javier Tebas said on the matter (via Barca Universal):

“Gavi was already registered and that Íñigo Martínez is registered for a single season.”

32-year-old Martinez has made 10 appearances for Barca since his summer arrival, helping Xavi's team keep three clean sheets across competitions. He is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury.