Barcelona have confirmed on their official website that Sergi Roberto has strained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee after he underwent a medical test on Saturday. The Spanish full-back had to come off at the half-time break after suffering a knock against Eibar and was replaced by Nelson Semedo in the second half.
The only positive from this latest development is that Roberto’s injury is not severe, so he won’t be out of action for long. However, the Reus-born prospect is unlikely to feature versus Slavia Prague in the UEFA Champions League in midweek which will be a bitter pill to swallow for Ernesto Valverde as he looks to secure a positive result on the road in Europe.
Roberto’s Bright Start To This Season
The 27-year-old has made a decent start to this campaign after putting in a couple of brilliant displays for Barca in the La Liga. Roberto has featured in ten matches for the Catalan outfit this term and has provided two assists in the process. On the defensive end, he has averaged 0.8 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.3 clearances per game in the Spanish top-flight (stats via whoscored).
The Barca youth product has also played in seven international fixtures for the Spanish national side and has scored one goal for his homeland so far.
What Does the Spanish Talent Add To Valverde’s Side?
Roberto has decent pace in his locker and is a very productive dribbler with the ball at his feet. He can complete some lung-bursting dribbles down the right flank and is ever willing to get to the by-line and cause problems for the opposition. The Spaniard is also a reliable defender inside his own half and can be a hard man to beat in a 1v1 foot race. He can also make some vital interceptions for his side by making some well-timed tackles.
Roberto’s Injury: Huge Blow For Valverde?
Roberto’s unavailability for the upcoming European encounter at Prague will be a big blow for the Catalans. However, Valverde has enough depth in his squad to cope with the Spanish defender’s injury absence. Semedo has performed well when he has gotten a start at the right-back position. He will be expected to step up into the first-team in Roberto’s absence so the Barca fans shouldn’t worry too much for now.
However, only time will tell whether the La Liga workhorse would be able to regain his place in Valverde’s starting XI at the Nou Camp when he recovers from his recent injury setback.
