The plague that does not cease: Barça injury situation ahead of clásico on Oct. 28

Another injury at Barcelona. And yet another injury to a first-choice player. Xavi Hernandez is having a lot of headaches and will have a lot of problems to put together the XI that will face Athletic at Montjuïc on Sunday 22 October.

The latest to go down was Alejandro Balde. The Barça full-back ended the first half of the match between Spain and Scotland with adductor discomfort and did not return to the pitch after the break. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente confirmed that he will return to Barcelona, where he will undergo medical tests.

He joins a long list of absentees already including Lamine Yamal, Frenkie de Jong, Lewandowski, Pedri, Koundé and Raphinha. Of these, only Lamine Yamal and Pedri are in with a chance of playing against Athletic, although neither will be forced.

Pedri was injured on 24 August. He suffered a rupture in the anterior rectus of his right thigh from which he has practically recovered. If the control tests he has to undergo are satisfactory, he could be released this week and play a few minutes against Athletic with the aim of starting the clásico against Real Madrid on 28 October.

Lamine Yamal, on the other hand, was injured in Granada. He went to the Spanish national team training camp but returned after being examined by the doctors. He has an injury in the psoas iliacus of his left leg. He is expected to be out for about 10 days and could be fit for the next league game.

The clásico

Lewandowski and Raphinha won't face Athletic but are in contention to play in the clasico. The Brazilian has a good chance of being fit to play against Los Blancos. He picked up an injury in the match against Sevilla on 29 September to the biceps femoris in his right leg. His recovery is going well and he could have minutes in the Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Lewandowski, meanwhile, injured his left ankle in the match against Porto after a nasty tackle from an opponent. The sprain was severe, but the Pole has not ruled himself out of the derby. He has already declared that everything is going better than expected, although he has also made it clear that he will not take any risks.

Another player with an ankle injury following a tackle by an opponent is Frenkie de Jong. The Dutchman was injured against Celta on 23 September. He was expected to be out for five to six weeks. Next week, after the first three weeks, the splint will be removed and the condition of his right ankle will be assessed. It seems unlikely that he will make the derby, but he is not 100 percent ruled out, although no risks will be taken with him.

Jules Koundé will not make it. The French centre-back was injured last Sunday in Granada when Gavi fell on his knee. He has a sprained inner lateral ligament in his left knee and will be out for about a month.