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Barcelona : Nélson Semedo ruled out for five weeks

By Chiranjib Ghosh

BARCELONA, SPAIN - JANUARY 28: Nelson Semedo of Barcelona reacts on the pitch during the La Liga match between Barcelona and Deportivo Alaves at Camp Nou on January 28, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN - JANUARY 28: Nelson Semedo of Barcelona reacts on the pitch during the La Liga match between Barcelona and Deportivo Alaves at Camp Nou on January 28, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) /
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The Portuguese full-back suffered a hamstring injury against Girona

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Nélson Semedo has become an important cog in the Barça machine. He has made 24 appearances in all competitions this season, and has shared minutes with Sergi Roberto. The Portuguese speedster started against local rivals Girona but had to come off in the 85th minute.

He injured his left hamstring, and is expected to be out for five weeks. That means that he will miss the rest of February and the entirety of March. He will miss 3 home games and 2 away games.

Barcelona have 2 very important games during this period. The home leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against Chelsea, and the game against Atlético Madrid, who are currently in second place in the league.

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He would not have played in those games, but would have starred in the matches preceding them, keeping Sergi Roberto fresh. But now that he is injured, it means that Aleix Vidal will be more involved in the first-team.

The 28-year old has made 18 appearances in all competitions this season, including 10 appearances off the bench. But in March, he will get two more starts under his belt, against Las Palmas and Málaga.

He needs to be at his best. Barcelona are looking to wrap up the La Liga title to focus on the cup competitions. The end of the season will be preceded by a hectic schedule, and the club doesn’t want to get caught up in a title race.

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And for that, the side needs to beat opponents like Las Palmas and Málaga.