Ousmane Dembele suffers injury relapse for Barcelona ahead of El Clasico | OneFootball

Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele has suffered a relapse in his recovery from an injury he sustained in January, according to Catalunya Radio.

Dembele suffered this muscle injury against Girona in the first half while chasing a loose ball on the left flank. The Frenchman has been out for over six weeks and will take longer to return to the pitch.

The reports claim that his muscles are taking time to recover from the injury. Barcelona’s medical staff do not want to take any risks with him considering his injury record.

The Catalans had announced that the 25-year-old would be out for three to five weeks, but his recovery is slow.

Dembele will miss his side’s El Clasico clash with Real Madrid this weekend, and they will hope he can recover over the next international break.

His next possible game could be the Copa del Rey El Clasico tie on April 5 in which Barcelona carry a 1-0 advantage from the first leg.

In the absence of Dembele, Raphinha has shone in his preferred right-wing position. He has netted two goals and created two big chances in his last four La Liga games.

Raphinha has scored the winner in consecutive games against Athletic Bilbao and Valencia. He also scored and assisted both goals against Manchester United in the 2-2 Europa League draw at Camp Nou.

The Brazilian international is hitting good form after being linked with a return to the Premier League. Chelsea and Newcastle United are reportedly interested in him and want to take him back to England.

Arsenal also tried to make moves for him in January, but Barcelona discouraged them with a ridiculous asking price.

However, Barcelona’s finances are crumbling, and they are under investigation for corruption. La Liga president Javier Tebas said they could suffer relegation if found guilty.

If Barcelona decide to cash in or go down, Raphinha will have suitors waiting to take him with open arms.