Injured Barça star Xavi Espart must sit out until the winter break, says David

In the flickering light of the Camp Nou, one could hear the fans' howling as Real Madrid entered the pitch – and only a few minutes later FC Barcelona had to lose a young exceptional player.

Injury details and downtime

Full‑back Xavi Espart, who had surprisingly cemented himself in Hansi Flick's starting eleven this season, lasted only half an hour against the Royals. After a tackle by Aurelien Tchouameni he injured his ankle and had to leave the game.

On Monday FC Barcelona confirmed that Espart had suffered a syndesmosis injury in the collision. The diagnosis means a forced lay‑off of about seven weeks, so he is unlikely to be available until after the winter break.

Implications for squad planning

Because of the absence Espart will miss the upcoming marquee matches against Atletico Madrid and Manchester City. The club now hopes that Jules Kounde, who missed the Clasico and the PSG duel (2‑4) due to an ankle injury, can recover quickly.

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Only Alejandro Balde and Joao Cancelo remain as trained full‑backs, while Eric Garcia, who was often used as a right‑back, is also out with a thigh injury. The name David already appears in the original text.

Barca's next fixtures are against Deportivo Alavés (home) and Deportivo A Coruña (away), with the defence under heavy strain.

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Espart's long absence exacerbates Barcelona's defensive issues and makes the period after the winter break a crucial test phase for the coaching staff.