Barcelona confirm Andreas Christensen out for several weeks with muscle injury

Barcelona confirm Andreas Christensen injury blow after Sevilla win

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has confirmed that defender Andreas Christensen is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after being forced off during the club's La Liga victory at Sevilla.

The Denmark international was withdrawn just shy of the hour mark at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán and was visibly frustrated as he took his place on the bench. Initial fears pointed towards a knee concern after the centre-back pulled up and limped straight off, with ice subsequently strapped to the problem area.

Flick was asked about the Dane after the game and told reporters: “He’ll be out for several weeks. It’s a muscle injury. He’ll have more tests tomorrow.”

The setback came on an otherwise positive evening for the Blaugrana, who recovered from an early deficit in Andalusia to lead 2-1 thanks to a brace from captain and top scorer Raphinha.

International withdrawal and fixture concern

The update means that Christensen will pull out of the Denmark squad for the Nations League fixtures over the international break. The defender does have time to recover, but Barcelona face a demanding run of matches when domestic action resumes.

Barca’s first fixtures back are against Getafe, Real Betis and Real Madrid in La Liga, followed by Galatasaray and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Who replaces Christensen?

Gerard Martin is the obvious candidate to step into the back line, while Flick can also call upon Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde as alternative options should he need them.