Another international break is in the history books and that can mean only one thing: more injuries for Barcelona.
La Blaugrana have once again succumbed to the ‘FIFA Virus’, a term coined to describe injuries suffered during the international period. Some teams are naturally affected more than others due to their high proportion of national team representatives, with Barcelona one of those struggling most with the curse.
The October international break has brought with it yet more injuries for Barça to battle and Hansi Flick will be feeling added frustration this month as El Clásico edges into view.
So, who are the latest Barça casualties?
How Have Barcelona Been Affected by the ‘FIFA Virus’?
Three players have added their name to Barça’s growing absentee list over the October international period, with Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres all suffering fitness setbacks while with their national teams.
Lewandowski was on the scoresheet for Poland against Lithuania on Sunday, but it’s now been revealed that the veteran striker will be sidelined for a month with a hamstring tear. He will almost certainly miss the clash with Real Madrid on Oct. 26.
Olmo and Torres were both forced to withdraw from the Spain squad with muscle injuries, with the former struggling with a calf problem. Torres, however, should be available for the weekend’s clash with Girona despite his latest scare.
This is not the first time Barça have been struck by the ‘FIFA Virus’ this term. Star forward Lamine Yamal returned from Spain duty with an injury in September which saw him miss four games for the Catalan giants. Flick was furious with how the youngster’s minutes were managed by La Roja last month and is now left cursing more misfortune.
While not injured with their national teams, Gavi, Marc-André ter Stegen, Joan García and Raphinha are all currently sidelined for last season’s domestic treble-winners, too.
How Have Other Clubs Been Affected?
Barça are not the only side struggling with the ‘FIFA Virus’. Their bitter rivals Real Madrid were also impacted over the October break, with Kylian Mbappé aggravating an ankle injury during France’s win over Azerbaijan last week.
The superstar was not Madrid’s only casualty, either. Dean Huijsen withdrew from the Spain squad because of a muscle injury and will miss the upcoming clash with Getafe, while starlet Franco Mastantuono was unable to feature for Argentina due to a knock.
Spain’s top two are not alone, though. Enzo Fernández added to Chelsea’s injury woes after suffering inflammation to his knee on international duty with Argentina, while Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch suffered a hamstring injury while representing the Netherland.
Paris Saint-Germain have also been dealt several injury blows during internationals this season, with Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé both suffering significant setbacks with France in their win over Ukraine in September.
Barça have company when it comes to injury frustrations—although that won’t ease their concerns.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as What Is the ‘FIFA Virus’ That Has Cursed Barcelona?.