Barcelona's Rodri ruled out of Atlético Madrid match with small muscle injury

Injury confirmed after Champions League win

Barcelona confirmed on Wednesday, 4 November, that Rodri has a small injury to the biceps femoris of his right leg. The 30-year-old midfielder was substituted at half-time of Tuesday's 3-0 Champions League win over Aston Villa at Spotify Camp Nou, with Marc Bernal taking his place. Discomfort had surfaced earlier in the match. One report from the day described the discomfort in his right calf, while the club's medical report named the biceps femoris. He underwent medical tests on Wednesday before the club issued its statement.

Recovery time left open

The club has not set a timeline and framed the return in its statement. Europa Press reported that he could be out for close to a month, while NYT, citing sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, expects him to miss games until after the international break. The medical tests were the basis for both estimates, and the club has not confirmed either figure.

“His exact recovery time will depend on how the injury develops.”

Impact on the Atlético clash and the title race

Rodri will miss Sunday's LaLiga match at the Metropolitano on 8 November, Barcelona's final game before the break. Atlético Madrid are second in the table on 28 points and would move above Barcelona with a win. Barcelona have won 10 of their first 11 league games, with their only defeat coming against Real Madrid on 25 October. Rodri has made 14 appearances this season, 10 in LaLiga and 4 in the Champions League, starting 11 of them, and has scored one goal and provided one assist.

Workload before the injury

El Periódico notes that Flick has managed Rodri's minutes in an unusual way, given the midfielder's record of serious injuries. Rodri played 90 minutes against Betis, Real Madrid and Alavés, but only about half an hour against PSG. LaVanguardia reports that he played the full 90 minutes against Alavés on Saturday even though that match was already settled, and El Confidencial noted the 6-1 scoreline. Rodri had been playing most of the minutes in recent matches before he left the field against Aston Villa.

Options for Flick and the Spain squad

El Periódico reports that Marc Bernal is the likely starter against Atlético, although Flick could also select Frenkie de Jong. De Jong played centre-back against Alavés but has said his best position is in midfield. Gavi is another option, and Eric García, recovering from a thigh tear, could travel to Madrid without starting. EL PAÍS reports that Rodri will also miss Spain's Nations League matches in Prague against the Czech Republic on Thursday 12 November and against England on Sunday 15 November, and NYT sources expect the same.