Barcelona defender returns to club after picking up a knock; could play vs Osasuna | OneFootball

Barcelona’s first big blow in the ongoing international break came in the form of Pau Cubarsi’s knock against the Netherlands.

The young defensive prodigy picked up a knock to his right ankle moments before the end of the first-half, raising alarm bells at Barcelona.

Although coach Luis de la Fuente confirmed Cubarsi’s injury was not serious and that he would be fit for Sunday’s second leg encounter, recent reports suggest otherwise.

Cubarsi back in Barcelona

According to Toni Juanmarti, Cubarsi has returned to Barcelona following the knock against the Netherlands. He will, therefore, not participate in the second leg, which will take place in Valencia.

This is quite significant for Barcelona, who were sweating on Cubarsi’s fitness ahead of their league game against Osasuna, in less than a week’s time.

Can Cubarsi return to fitness for the Osasuna game? (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

With Inigo Martinez also out injured and Ronald Araujo set to return late from the international break, Cubarsi’s presence could be paramount if Barça are to continue their strong momentum.

As things stand, Juanmarti suggests that there is a chance Cubarsi could play against Osasuna, provided everything goes smoothly.

As mentioned earlier, the defender’s injury is not serious and he should recover fairly quickly. His return to Barcelona, to that end, could help out a lot.

However, the question remains – can Cubarsi return to full fitness before the Osasuna game? Even if he does, there is always a question whether or not Barcelona will take a risk by fielding him into the starting eleven.

One would expect a more definitive update in the near future, as Barcelona look to finalise Cubarsi’s fitness report.