Barcelona suffer huge El Clasico blow as Olmo is ruled out

By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria

Barcelona have been dealt a major injury blow ahead of El Clasico, with attacking midfielder Dani Olmo ruled out for about a month after picking up an injury against Paris Saint-Germain.

Olmo sustained the injury during Barcelona’s 4-2 Champions League defeat to PSG on Tuesday night at the Spotify Camp Nou. He was forced off during the game and underwent further tests on Wednesday.

In an official statement, Barcelona confirmed: “The tests carried out have confirmed that Dani Olmo has an injury to his left adductor as a result of a traumatic action with a rival player during the match against Paris Saint-Germain. The estimated time out is approximately one month.”

The timing could not be worse for manager Hansi Flick. Olmo will now miss Sunday’s El Clasico against Real Madrid at home — the biggest game of the La Liga season so far.

He is also expected to miss key La Liga fixtures against Alaves, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal, as well as a crucial Champions League meeting with Aston Villa.

The injury is also a setback for Spain. Olmo is set to miss the upcoming international break, where La Roja face England and Czech Republic in the Nations League. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente had relied on him heavily in the last window, where he provided three assists in four matches as Spain won all four games to top their group.

The injury ends an impressive run of availability for Olmo, who made his 100th appearance for Barcelona against PSG. He has made 12 appearances across all competitions this season, scoring one goal and providing four assists.

Remarkably, he had played 44 consecutive matches — 32 last season and 12 this term — without a physical setback. He had been injury-free since December 3rd, when he dislocated his shoulder after scoring against Atletico Madrid. His last muscle injury was back on October 10th, 2025.

Barcelona have enjoyed a perfect start domestically, sitting top of La Liga with 27 points from nine matches, five points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid. Flick’s side have scored 39 goals and conceded just nine in the league, but Tuesday’s loss to PSG was their first defeat in all competitions this season.