The player injured himself in the second half of Barcelona’s draw against Eibar.
The injury crisis at Barcelona worsens as the club confirmed the knee injury suffered by Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian star was forced to come off late in the second half in the match against Eibar.
The initial reaction following the game was not a good one as the club feared the injury would necessitate a long recovery time. Those concerns were justified.
More from Everything Barca
- FC Barcelona tracking Belgian Wonderkid
- FC Barcelona vs Betis Player Ratings
- Barça boss Xavi to get contract extension
- FC Barcelona planning swoop for Arsenal midfielder
- Barcelona interested in €30 million wonderkid
The Catalan side released a statement that said,
"“The tests carried out. on the first team player Philippe Coutinho have shown that the midfielder has an injury to the lateral meniscus in his left knee. Treatment will necessitate arthroscopic surgery which will take place in the coming days.”Source: FC Barcelona"
According to AS, the estimated recovery time is around four months. The injury he suffered is similar to the one that also sidelined Ansu Fati.
Coutinho’s return to Barcelona has not gone as well as he or the club hoped. It was supposed to be a fresh start and for the first few games, it seemed like he was returning to the form he showed at Liverpool.
But his performances dipped and then he picked up an injury that sidelined him for a couple of weeks. Since then, he’s been in and out of the side with Pedri becoming the starter ahead of him.
This latest injury all but leaves him out for the rest of the season. While rumors surfaced that the club were looking to move him on during the winter transfer window, Coutinho had no plans on leaving. Regardless, that option is now off the table.
Coutinho has played in 14 matches this season, scoring three goals and providing two assists. He now joins Gerard Pique, Ansu Fati, and Sergi Roberto on a seemingly ever-growing, long term, injury list.