Barcelona Fear Longer Christensen Layoff as Defender Set to Miss El Clasico

Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen has been out for more than a month with a left quadriceps injury, and the club have still not given a return date.

He was hurt in the La Liga game against Sevilla on 19 September. He went down after a challenge and looked upset on the bench before Gerard Martin replaced him. Barcelona said the next day that tests showed a muscle injury to the rectus femoris in his left quad. The club did not give a timeline at the time, only that he would be out for the coming weeks.

Early estimates said he would miss four to six weeks. SPORT now reports that the club are starting to think the layoff could last up to two months. Christensen has a history of muscle problems, so Barcelona want to be careful and avoid a setback. It has now been 33 days, which is four weeks and five days.

He will definitely miss Sunday's El Clasico against Real Madrid. He has already sat out four games, the league wins over Getafe and Real Betis, and the Champions League ties with Galatasaray and PSG.

If his recovery drags on, he could also miss the Champions League game at home to Aston Villa on 3 November and the La Liga trip to Atletico Madrid on 8 November. After the next international break, Barcelona host Villarreal on 22 November. That game could be a target for his return if the cautious timeline holds.

An earlier comeback is not ruled out, and the club are watching his progress instead of fixing a date. Still, it is an unwelcome problem for Hansi Flick's side. 

Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde are also out, and a busy run of league and European games is coming up. Rushing Christensen back would be of little use if it raised the risk of another muscle injury.