Barça’s Breath of Relief: Olmo’s Minor Injury Sparks Optimism Ahead of Clasico
13 October 2025
Olmo Injury Update and Barca's Hope
Barcelona breathed a sigh of relief after Dani Olmo underwent fresh medical checks that confirmed the injury is not as serious as initially feared. The club disclosed that Olmo is dealing with a muscle strain in the left calf, with no damage to the soft tissues, and that recovery will depend on how his condition evolves in the coming days.
The Spanish midfielder felt pain in the left calf during Spain's training in Las Rozas last Thursday, and his condition worsened the next day, prompting him to leave the squad and return to Barcelona for further tests under the club's medical staff.
Today’s tests at the Joan Gamper Training Complex were reassuring, ruling out a muscular tear and meaning Olmo should not be sidelined for long—a relief for both the club and the player, since a tear would have kept him out for weeks.
Despite the positive news, the coaching staff led by Hansi Flick remain cautious, with Barcelona about 13 days away from the Clasico against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on October 26. While the diagnosis offers hope of a fit return, the club will not risk including him unless he is fully ready physically; the coming days will determine his progress and chances of featuring in the big showdown.
Olmo’s journey has been a rollercoaster. A product of Espanyol’s academy who moved to La Masia at nine, he left Barcelona in 2014 for Dinamo Zagreb, blossomed there, then thrived at RB Leipzig, earning a Spain call-up in 2019 and Euro 2020 visibility. In 2024 he returned to Barcelona to help the club’s attacking options, a move that fans hope will pay off with goals and healthy seasons ahead.
Lamine Yamal's Return to the Fold
Barça’s medical staff have been focusing on Lamine Yamal’s recovery from his groin problem, with reports from AS suggesting the winger is making steady progress. The plan is to have him cleared for a return by the weekend if there is no negative development, aiming to include him in the squad for Girona in La Liga.
The objective set by coach Hansi Flick is to progressively bring the young star back to peak condition ahead of the eagerly awaited clash with Real Madrid.
Barcelona’s plan for Yamal is to involve him for a few minutes against Girona, as a prelude to a likely starting role against Olympiakos in the Champions League. The medical team believes this gradual return is optimal to avoid any setback that could send him back to square one.
Early indications are that Yamal could join team training next Wednesday, after weeks of rehabilitation at the club facilities, with testing determining readiness for matches.
Punchline 1: If injuries were snipers, Barca’s medical staff aimed true and delivered a clean hit on the scare.
Punchline 2: In football as in life, the comeback is the best goal celebration—Olmo and Yamal prove the shot is not over yet.
