A painful blow and a gift in the timing: the length of injured Barcelona star's absence revealed | Goal.com

Published on 17 Sep 2026 | Reading time: 2 minutes

Barcelona have been dealt a painful blow ahead of their clash with Sevilla. Medical tests carried out on goalkeeper Joan Garcia on Thursday confirmed a meniscus injury in his right knee, which will keep him out for around three weeks.

Hansi Flick had been forced to replace Garcia at half-time against Racing Santander on Wednesday evening, bringing on Poland's Wojciech Szczesny in a game that ended 7-2 to the Catalans.

Reports that emerged yesterday pointed to the injury as the reason for the change. Chasing a ball that had gone out of play at the end of the first half, Garcia slipped on the wet artificial turf, causing an unnatural movement and a slight twist of his ankle.

A statement on Barcelona's official X account confirmed that Garcia is suffering minor pain in his right knee, with the development of the injury set to determine his readiness to feature.

According to AS, the tests revealed a meniscus injury in the goalkeeper's right knee. He will miss Saturday's match against Sevilla and is set to regain his fitness after the international break.

The fixture calendar has fallen in Barcelona's favour this time. Garcia's absence coincides with the international break, so the goalkeeper will only miss the clash with Sevilla before becoming available to face Getafe at the Camp Nou on 10 October.

Relief for the medical staff also came from the nature of the injury itself. It is to the right knee, not the left, on which the goalkeeper went under the knife a year ago.

This latest problem is considered less serious. The tests showed Garcia does not need surgery, so his programme will be limited to recovery and a gradual return to the pitch.

With Garcia sidelined, every indication is that Flick will turn once again to Szczesny to guard Barcelona's goal against Sevilla on Saturday.

That prospect brings back a few question marks among the Catalan fans. Szczesny's display against Racing Santander did little to ease them, with the Pole losing the ball in the build-up to the opponent's second goal, an error that drew widespread criticism.

Adding to the worry is history. The same scenario played out last season, when Garcia was injured before the trip to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Szczesny conceded four goals as Barca slumped to a 4-1 defeat, their first loss of the campaign.

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