Sergio Busquets: is he injured? How long will be be out for?

The Barcelona midfielder was forced to leave the field after suffering an injury against Sevilla.

Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets left the field just after the match began against Sevilla after twisting his left ankle in a clash with striker En-Nesyri. The player was treated by the medical team on the pitch before being substituted for Kessié.

His injury comes as a double-pronged worry for the club: in over 700 games for Barça, only 13 have been missed due to injury. Busquets is not a player who sees the inside of the recovery room on a regular basis. Added to that, he is arguably the fundamental part of the midfield 4 that Xavi has decided upon for his preferred system. Kessié is a fine replacement, but he is no Sergio.

How long will Busquets be out for?

The injury came in the third minute in what was more or less the first action for the player. A loose ball from Kounde meant he had to recover possession on the ground which is when he came into contact with the opposition striker, who also went for the ball.

The extent of the injury is not known; although there is early speculation that the injury is a Grade II ankle sprain and Busquets will miss 2-3 weeks of action: Barcelona play Manchester United in the Europa League on 16 February.

Busquets’ injury might not seem as serious as first feared

The good news is that he managed to walk off the pitch (albeit limping heavily) and did not make use of the stretcher, which may have sent hearts racing around the ground at an audible speed. Whatever the diagnosis, manager Xavi Hernández will have to find a way around playing without the midfield anchor over the next few days. The next game for the club is  a difficult away trip to Villarreal on Sunday 12 February.