INJURY BLOW: FERRAN TORRES RULED OUT OF BARCELONA’S CRUCIAL TRIP TO SLAVIA PRAGUE
Hansi Flick faces an injury crisis as Ferran Torres is ruled out and Lamine Yamal is suspended for the Slavia Prague clash.
Hansi Flick just can’t catch a break. Right before Barcelona’s must-win Champions League trip to Slavia Prague, Ferran Torres picked up a hamstring injury. He’s out for the next 10 days. So, add him to the list with Lamine Yamal, who’s suspended. Suddenly, Barcelona look pretty thin up front. There’s some good news, though—Raphinha is back and ready to go, which gives the squad a much-needed lift as they scramble for a top-eight finish and try to avoid that dreaded play-off round.
Torres drops out at the worst possible time. He’s been dealing with a muscle issue in his right leg, so he won’t just miss the trip to the Czech Republic—he’s probably out for the weekend’s La Liga match too. Flick’s been trying to rotate his squad with games coming thick and fast, and Ferran’s been a real asset—sometimes starting, sometimes injecting energy off the bench. Now that flexibility is gone, and just as the Champions League heats up. Ferran, nicknamed “The Shark” by fans, will stay behind in Barcelona for physio while his teammates head off to Prague.
As if that wasn’t enough, Barcelona also have to make do without Lamine Yamal, who’s serving a one-match ban after picking up too many yellows. The kid’s been electric—one of the brightest young talents in the game and a real focal point in Flick’s attack. Replacing him isn’t easy, and with Ferran out too, Flick is really down to the bare bones in attack. The injury list doesn’t stop there either. Gavi and Andreas Christensen are still out long-term, so they were never in the running for this game. Flick pretty much has to lean on his senior players and hope some of the younger guys from La Masia can step up in a tough away match.
But Raphinha’s return comes at just the right moment. He missed the last match with a minor knock, and there were some worries he’d be out longer. But he’s trained fine and made the squad for Prague. That’s a big boost. He’ll likely slot right back into the starting lineup, probably out wide, looking to supply Robert Lewandowski. The squad looks strong enough on paper—Raphinha, Lewandowski, and Marcus Rashford are all travelling. Rashford, especially, will need to step up with Yamal out. There’s also some young blood in there, like Roony Bardghji and Marc Bernal, in case Flick needs an extra spark off the bench.
This match couldn’t be bigger. With the new Champions League format, you’ve got to finish in the top eight to skip that tricky play-off round in February. Barcelona are 15th right now, with 10 points, but they’ve still got a shot to climb up in these last two games. Flick called the match “crucial”—and he’s right. They can’t afford to drop points. Slavia Prague’s stadium is a tough place to go, and the home crowd will be all over them. The pressure’s on Raphinha and Lewandowski to deliver, and Barcelona just have to find a way to get the job done in Prague—no matter who’s missing.
MARTIN ODEGAARD AND KAI HAVERTZ MISS FINAL TRAINING; CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HOPES FADING
Arsenal's Champions League hopes are in doubt as Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz miss final training ahead of the Atletico tie.
Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz didn’t show up for Arsenal’s open training on Monday, just a day before the crucial Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid. Both missed Saturday’s comfortable 3-0 win over Fulham because of injuries: Odegaard with his knee and Havertz with a muscular problem.
Odegaard hurt his knee in last week’s draw with Atletico, while Havertz hasn’t played since picking up an issue against Newcastle. After beating Fulham, Mikel Arteta sounded confident they’d be ready for Atletico, but on Monday neither player was seen with the first team. That’s a big hint they won’t be involved at the Emirates.
Arteta is set to speak to the media soon, though don’t expect him to spill much; he’s known for keeping his cards close to his chest when it comes to team news.
There were a couple more missing faces at London Colney. Jurrien Timber (groin) and Mikel Merino (foot) were also absent. Timber hasn’t featured since before the international break, and it’s unclear when he’ll return, but Arsenal hope it’s before the end of the season. Merino’s been out nearly three months since foot surgery. He might not play again this month.
On the upside, Bukayo Saka was back in training after getting subbed at halftime against Fulham, where he started his first Premier League game since mid-March.
Now, Arsenal really have a headache. Odegaard, who scored 15 goals last season, just hasn’t looked the same. Staff are increasingly worried about him; he’s missed 25 games in all competitions this year, thanks to a pileup of injuries: two freak shoulder issues, two muscular injuries, and the recurring knee problem. When he’s fit, Odegaard can still make magic happen; just look at his four assists across six games in January, but right now, his body keeps letting him down.
Havertz’s story isn’t much brighter. He’s managed only 20 appearances this season, mostly because of a serious knee injury in the summer and more muscle problems afterward. He’s Arsenal’s top earner at £280,000 a week, while Odegaard sits fourth at £240,000. Having two high-paid players sidelined so often is not ideal, and Arsenal need answers.
To try to sort out this ongoing injury crisis, Arteta has reportedly brought in a trusted expert from the medical field to lead an investigation. Arsenal hope this move finally sheds some light on their troubled injury record.
DECLAN RICE ACCUSES REFEREE OF CRUMBLING UNDER PRESSURE IN MADRID PENALTY DRAMA
Arsenal head to the Emirates with a 1-1 draw, but Declan Rice is fuming over the officiating standards in the Champions League.
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Declan Rice didn’t hold back after Arsenal’s 1-1 draw in Madrid, backing Mikel Arteta’s outrage and insisting the team deserved a “clear” penalty. He even went so far as to say that Atlético Madrid’s fans pushed the referee, Danny Makkelie, into changing his mind.
Arteta was livid. Late in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal, Makkelie first pointed to the spot for Arsenal after Eberechi Eze went down. But surrounded by Diego Simeone’s wild sideline antics and the roar of 70,000 Atleti supporters, Makkelie stared at the replay 13 times, then flipped his call and waved play on.
Looking back on it, Rice couldn’t believe it. “It’s a clear penalty,” he said. “I don't know how that's not been given. I think the fans got to him and changed his mind. UEFA is just a different world. In both boxes, you have to be so careful because referees call everything.”
Arsenal ran into trouble with VAR twice. First, the ref ruled Ben White handled a Llorente volley, and Julián Álvarez buried the resulting penalty, cancelling out Viktor Gyökeres’ earlier spot-kick. Rice felt for White. Talking with Stan Sport, he said, “If that happens in the Premier League, it doesn’t get given. The ball’s hardly off the ground, and it’s not even on target. But in the Champions League, the refs make these snap calls and whistle for everything. It’s just more strict. But whatever, we move on. We want to beat them next week.”
Despite the drama, Arsenal is still in a solid spot. They’ll head back to London, hoping the home crowd can push them into their first Champions League final since 2006. Bukayo Saka, freshly back from an Achilles injury, is counting on it. “We’d have liked to win, but we’ll take the draw. It’s halftime, and we’re full of confidence going back to the Emirates,” he said. “I’m sure the atmosphere will be even bigger, and that will give us a real boost.”
Before that return leg, Arsenal face Fulham at home on Saturday. They could put more heat on Manchester City by stretching their Premier League lead, though City still has games in hand and plays Everton next. The race is on.
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