Barcelona have been handed yet another fresh injury blow this week as Dani Olmo picked up a knock in the recent defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
The key playmaker is set to spend at least four weeks on the sideline after an adductor tear and will miss the upcoming match against Real Madrid.
A remarkable run comes to an end
While the timing of the setback is a cruel one, it also brought a quietly impressive streak to a close.
Olmo’s withdrawal against PSG ended a remarkable run of 44 consecutive appearances for Barcelona across the calendar year of 2026.
Olmo had remained injury-free for a long time. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images)
Since January 3, the Spaniard had featured in 32 games during the 2025/26 campaign and a further 12 so far this term, turning out in every single Barça fixture this season.
Factoring in his international duty with Spain, the 28-year-old had already racked up 15 matches in the current campaign alone.
Meanwhile, the injury struck on the very night Olmo made his 100th appearance for the club, bringing an abrupt end to a year-long spell free of any muscular problems.
Why Barcelona need Olmo back soon
For all of Barcelona’s attacking riches, losing Olmo at this juncture is far from ideal.
The playmaker has been one of Hansi Flick’s most reliable performers, offering a blend of creativity, clarity and goal threat in the final third that few in the squad can replicate.
Olmo will miss a critical part of the season. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
With the club having relied on a rotating cast of forwards and false nines this season, his ability to link play and unlock stubborn defences has proven invaluable.
Barcelona head into a defining stretch of the campaign, with the Clasico against Real Madrid the immediate priority, and doing so without one of their influential creators only adds to an already lengthy injury list that includes Eric Garcia, Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen.
A four-week lay-off means Olmo faces a race to return for the latter stages of a congested first half of the season.
The sooner Flick can call upon him again, the better, as Barcelona look to protect their position at the summit while returning to winning ways in the UCL.