Barcelona and RFEF at loggerheads over handling of teenage defender’s injury – report | OneFootball

Pau Cubarsi’s injury last night forced him off the field before the first half of Spain’s game against Holland ended and it did not paint a pretty picture for Barcelona’s upcoming games.

After all, the Spanish phenom is central to Hansi Flick’s plans, and losing him at such a crucial juncture of the season would be a massive blow for the Catalans.

Despite the player leaving the field injured, however, the RFEF have refused to grant him permission to travel back to Barcelona and it is clear that the club and the national federation do not see eye to eye in this regard.

Clash of opinions

As relayed in a recent update by AS, the RFEF rules that Cubarsi has suffered a very minor injury and that it will subside over the coming three days.

They do not wish to threaten the player’s well-being but concurrently want him to play the decisive second leg against The Netherlands if he has completely recovered before the day of the game.

They thus wish to keep him under their monitoring until Sunday before making a decision over his participation.

Cubarsi suffered a minor injury while playing for Spain. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)

Barcelona, on the other hand, prioritise Cubarsi’s long-term fitness and do not want him risked just days after a scare.

Their stance is for the player to be sent back to Barcelona immediately, although that appears highly unlikely now.

The Catalans have five games in 12 days after the restart of club football including a game against Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.

More importantly, they are likely going to be without Ronald Araujo and Inigo Martinez against Osasuna, and not having Cubarsi too will be a massive blow to their chances on the night.

The final decision, as it appears, will rest on Cubarsi’s sensations during the week and whether or not he has recovered.

While a speedy recovery would work well for Barcelona, they will also hope he does not participate next weekend.