Barcelona concerned about the fitness of Dutch forward – report

Barcelona are said to be concerned about the physical state of forward Memphis Depay, with a report from Mundo Deportivo claiming the former Lyon frontman is suffering from muscular overloads, which has put him at risk of fibrillar rupture.

Since picking up a hamstring injury during Barcelona’s 0-3 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, the Netherlands international has struggled to get minutes under his belt. Although he has appeared in cameos against Granada and Real Madrid, the 27-year-old has missed seven of his team’s last nine games across all competitions.

While he is trying his best to return, the fact remains that he still has some discomfort in the scar from the injury on his left thigh. As a result, the forward is now suffering from muscular overload, which basically means overloading the body over its natural limit. The aftermath of this has put him at risk of a possible rupture of his fibre.

Xavi has decided to be act extremely cautious since he knows Depay is of utmost importance. With Sergio Aguero retiring, Ansu Fati injured, and Ousmane Dembele not in plans, the Dutch forward has automatically become an important entity for the 42-year-old. 

As things stand, though, first-team doctor Ricard Pruna has ordered extreme precautions and has advised Xavi not to rush into anything, with the reason being the hectic calendar of February.

Barcelona will begin their frenetic February with a home game against Atletico Madrid, followed by Espanyol. Napoli are scheduled to pay a visit on February 16 for the first leg of the Europa League knockouts before the Catalans play two away games against Valencia and Gli Azzurri.

All this has forced Xavi to look into the market for potential reinforcements, and if reports are anything to go by, Adama Traore is on the verge of potential return.