Barcelona forward expected to miss the Athletic clash, club does not want to take risks

Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele is still in the final stage of his recovery and if a recent report from RAC1 is to be believed, the 25-year-old is expected to miss his side’s upcoming away game against Athletic Club on Sunday, March 12.

It must be remembered that Dembele has been out of action since late January after picking a thigh injury in a league match against Girona. Since then, the young forward has gone on to miss nine games across all competitions.

This includes UEFA Europa League ties against Manchester United, a Copa del Rey round of 16 first-leg encounter against Real Madrid and a recent 1-0 win over Valencia.

Earlier reports suggested that Dembele would be available for selection when Barcelona travel to San Mames Barria on Sunday. As it turns out, however, the 25-year-old will complete six weeks on the sidelines on Sunday and will not be available after all.

The French forward is missing the green light from the doctors and Xavi does not really want to take any risk with the youngster. That means the 25-year-old will be one of the many superstar players who will miss the trip on Sunday.

This includes first-choice defender Ronald Araujo. The Uruguayan is set to miss the tie after picking up a red card in a 1-0 win against Valencia.

Furthermore, midfielder Pedri, who picked up an injury in the first-leg tie against Manchester United, has still not recovered and is expected to miss out. 

The good thing, however, remains the fact that star forward Robert Lewandowski is looking forward to marking his return. As reported before, there is a growing sense of belief that he might be included in the travelling contingent.

If that is the case, Barcelona can take a huge sigh of relief as they have struggled in offence since his absence.