FC Barcelona have officially announced that defender Inigo Martínez has sustained a right hamstring tear, resulting in a four-week absence from competitive football.
Inigo Martínez who is currently 33-year-old sustained the injury during the first half of Barcelona’s dominant 5-2 victory over their rivals Real Madrid, necessitating his substitution for Ronald Araujo.
Martínez has been a key player for Barcelona this season, regularly starting alongside Pau Cubarsi, and his absence will be felt as he is set to miss at least seven fixtures. This includes important matches against Real Betis at home, Getafe away, Benfica in the UEFA Champions League, as well as domestic clashes with Valencia, Alaves, and Sevilla.
Additionally, if Barcelona progress past Real Betis in the Copa del Rey, he could miss an eighth game in the quarter-finals.
The injury’s initial prognosis suggested a recovery period of five weeks, but the revised timeline offers some hope for an earlier return. If Barcelona were to qualify for the top eight in Europe, there is a possibility that Martínez could be back in time for the Champions League play-off round.
In terms of addressing Martínez’s absence, the coaching staff may opt to shift Araujo into his position, which proved effective during their game against Madrid which ended 5-2 in favour of Barca.
However, there are concerns surrounding Araujo’s future at the club, with rumours of a potential departure in January. Should that happen, options such as Eric Garcia or Andreas Christensen—who has yet to receive clearance from an Achilles tendon injury—might be called upon to step in.
