BARCELONA WERE DEALT a hammer blow on Sunday morning as the club received confirmation that record signing Ousmane Dembele would be sidelined for three to four months.
The French forward was injured during the club’s 2-1 victory against Getafe on Saturday when the 20-year-old fell to the floor clutching his hamstring just 20 minutes into his first La Liga start.
“The tests performed on first team player Ousmane Dembele have determined he has ruptured the tendon of the hamstring in his left leg,” Barcelona said in a statement on Sunday.
“The player will undergo surgical treatment by Dr. Sakari Orava this coming week in Finland. The expected time out will be between three-and-a-half and four months.”
💪 #CourageDembele
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 17, 2017
💪 #AnimsDembele
💪 #AnimoDembele
❤️ to support @Dembouz! pic.twitter.com/XJcD8unoR1
Dembele joined the Catalans from Borussia Dortmund in Augsust for a club record €105 million, which could rise to €145 million with add-ons.
The French international joined Dortmund from Rennes for just €15 million last year, going on to record six goals and 12 assists last season.
The player was viewed as a direct replacement for Brazilian forward Neymar who joined PSG for €222 million, leaving a sizable gap in Barcelona’s forward line.
With today’s confirmation Dembele could miss the remainder of 2017, including Champions League games against Sporting Lisbon, Olympiacos, Juventus and 23 December’s El Classico meeting with Real Madrid.
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