After their damaging defeat to Bayern Munich in the opening Champions League encounter, Barcelona have now suffered another blow as the key duo of Pedri Gonzalez and Jordi Alba have picked up injuries and will be on the sidelines for the coming weeks. The Catalans were beaten 3-0 by the Bavarian giants at the Nou Camp, handing the La Liga side their third consecutive defeat at home in the competition. Barcelona 0-3 Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League 2021-22.

Barcelona already have a long injury list with key players Sergino Dest, Ousmane Dembele, Sergio Aguero and Ansu Fati on the sidelines. And now manager Ronald Koeman will be without two more players as the Catalan giants resume their La Liga campaign on the weekend at home against Granada.

Pedri returned to action, playing 90 minutes against Bayern Munich after a short vacation following his participation at the Euros and Olympics. However, post game, Barcelona confirmed that the midfielder has picked up a thigh injury. ‘Pedri has a quadriceps muscle injury in his left thigh. The player is unavailable for selection and his recovery will dictate his return,’ the club said in a statement.

In addition, Jordi Alba will also be unavailable for the upcoming games as he was substituted in the second half after sustaining a knock. ‘Tests carried out on Wednesday morning on the first-team player Jordi Alba show that he has a hamstring injury in his right thigh,’ Barcelona confirmed in an official statement.

Both Pedri and Jordi Alba are likely to miss the upcoming clash against Granada as Barcelona aim to close down a three-point gap between them and leaders Real Madrid. And with the duo’s comeback depending upon recovery, it is possible that they will be unavailable for the upcoming few matches in all competitions.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 16, 2021 10:22 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).