Confirmed: Barcelona superstar Rodri out with thigh injury; could be sidelined for one month

Confirmed: Barcelona superstar Rodri out with thigh injury; could be sidelined for one month In a major blow for Barcelona, Carlos Monfort of SPORT reports that key midfielder Rodri will be sidelined for one month after suffering an injury against Aston Villa. The Blaugrana confirmed officially that tests carried out earlier today have confirmed an injury in the biceps femoris muscle in his right leg. “First-team player Rodrigo Hernández has undergone medical tests following the muscle discomfort he experienced during yesterday’s match against Aston Villa. “The tests confirm that he is suffering from a minor injury to the biceps femoris of his right leg,” the statement read. “He will be sidelined for Sunday’s match against Atlético de Madrid. The exact recovery timeline will depend on the progress of the injury.” While the club statement does not confirm a specific recovery period, the Spanish international is expected to be out of action for a period of four weeks. Big blow for Barcelona Rodri was forced off at half-time during Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League match against Aston Villa on Tuesday night after experiencing muscular discomfort. The marquee summer signing had felt pain towards the end of the first half and was unable to continue after the break, with Marc Bernal taking his place on the pitch. Initial examinations at Camp Nou had already raised concerns about a muscular injury. Further tests today confirmed the diagnosis, leaving Barcelona without one of their most important midfielders for a demanding run of fixtures. Rodri out of Atletico Madrid clash With the nature of the injury and the time out being confirmed, Rodri has been definitively ruled out of Barcelona’s upcoming top-of-the-table La Liga clash against Atletico Madrid. It will be the Catalans’ last game before the international break, with the 30-year-old now also expected to sit out of Spain’s UEFA Nations League fixtures over the next couple of weeks. His expected four-week absence means he is also likely to miss Barcelona’s return to La Liga action after the international break against Villarreal on 22 November. Rodri is injured. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) The midfielder is further expected to sit out the Champions League clash against Sabah, as well as the league fixtures versus Deportivo de A Coruna and Celta Vigo. Rodri is also expected to be racing against time to regain fitness for the Champions League clash against his former club Manchester City. Since arriving in the summer, Rodri has become a permanent fixture in the middle of the park for Barcelona, playing 14 times in all competitions (11 starts). As such, his absence is set to affect the team’s composition and manager Hansi Flick’s plans during an important phase of the season. Bernal appears to be the best placed to replace Rodri during his absence, while Frenkie de Jong will also stake a claim for a spot. Gavi, who has found minutes hard to come by this season, is also an option for Flick.