Dani Olmo's injury has been a tough blow for a Barcelona team that were previously perfect to start the season, but have now lost two out of four games since the injury to the Euro 2024 winner.
Since Barcelona finally registered Olmo in La Liga, the La Masia product began showcasing the talent fans grew used to during this summer's Euros. He scored a goal in all three La Liga games he played–something a Barça signing hadn't done since Cesc Fàbregas in 2011. It was clear that manager Hansi Flick considered him a pivotal part of his preferred 4-2-3-1 system as the attacking midfielder.
The ideal start to his Barcelona career came to an end when he suffered a hamstring injury in a 4–1 win against Girona on Sept. 15. Olmo hasn't seen the pitch since, and Barcelona hasn't been as formidable without its summer signing.
When Will Dani Olmo Return From Injury?
A day after the injury, Barcelona released a statement saying Olmo would be out for around a month. The update was given on Sept. 16, since then Olmo has been seen doing recovery work in the training ground.
If the timetable goes as planned, then the 26-year-old midfielder should be back with the squad after the upcoming international break. He'd rejoin the squad at the perfect time, as Barcelona enters a difficult run of games where it'll face Sevilla, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the first El Clásico of the 2024–25 season.
Potential Dani Olmo Replacements For Barcelona
Flick has had a tough time finding the best option to fill Olmo's absence. In the three games Olmo played, Barcelona scored 13 goals. Without him on the pitch, Barcelona has scored the same amount of goals in seven games.
Marc Casadó and Eric García played in the base of the midfield with Pedri occupying Olmo's sport in the 10 in Barcelona's defeat to Monaco in its first game of the UCL season. García's red card compromised Flick's system though and, in La Liga, it was Pablo Torre who's been charged with Olmo's position with Pedri and Casadó behind him.
Frenkie de Jong is back available for Barcelona, but it wouldn't seem wise to hurry him back into the starting XI after such a long absence. Gavi is in the final stages of his recovery from an ACL injury suffered on November of last year, making it even more difficult for Flick to find alternatives.
Flick could be aggressive and put Raphinha in at that position with Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres on the wings; however, the likely option is to continue to see the young Barça midfielders, Casadó and Torre, playing significant minutes until Olmo–and the rest of the recovering Barcelona midfielders–are ready for action.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dani Olmo Injury: Progress & Potential Return Date for Barcelona Midfielder.