Barcelona actually sit top of La Liga but it does not feel like things are going well at the Nou Camp.
They have been struggling in a lot of games and do not look as invincible this year.
Barcelona went down 3-1 to Levante this weekend in a game that came with no plus points. They looked totally inept in the game and it also seems they lost a key player for another extended period. On an afternoon where concerns and disappointments were numerous, the sight of Luis Suarez pulling up injured in the 41st minute to be replaced by Carles Perez was among the first to emerge prior to the sour defeat.
“Tests carried out have shown that Luis Suarez has a right calf injury,” Barcelona said in a statement on their website. “Therefore, he is presently not available for selection and his recovery will dictate his return to action.”
A story in Sport seems to indicate that Luis Suarez is expected to be out for around three weeks, meaning he will defintely miss Barca’s Champions League clash against Slavia Prague at Camp Nou and also next weekend’s La Liga game at home to Celta Vigo.
He missed a few games at the start of the season and the report goes on to suggest it is a re-aggravation of the same muscle injury. This presents Barca with two major problems. Firstly it is tough to see who might be able to step up and score goals in his absence. Apart from Lionel Messi, nobody has looked a constant threat. the obvious choice would be Antoine Griezmann but he’s been poor since joining from Atletico.
The other problem will come when Suarez comes to return to the team. The report suggests the issue will keep recurring if he tries to force his way back too early. This means that he will need to be patient. On top of this, Suarez has traditionally started the season slowly and doesn’t play well after an extended absence.
SEE ALSO:
- LIST: All Time Leading Barcelona Top Goalscorers
- Out-of-favour Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic could move to fellow rivals Atletico Madrid
- Barcelona’s Antoine Griezmann accounts attitude issues for loss to Levante
