Rakitic Battles With Muscle Strain Injury

By Nigel Philips

Barcelona ace Ivan Rakitic faces an undisclosed spell on the sidelines after being diagnosed with a muscle strain on Saturday.

The midfielder sustained the injury while on international assignment with Croatia against Spain on Thursday, and returned to the Catalan club for assessment.

A club statement by the club on Saturday revealed that the player has a hamstring and would be out of action for some time, though failing to disclose the exact duration of his absence.

“Tests carried out on Saturday at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper has confirmed that the player Ivan Rakitic has a strained semimembranosus muscle in his right hamstring," the statement read.

"His recovery will dictate his return. The player returned to Barcelona after picking up the injury last Thursday in the game between Croatia and Spain.”

Rakitic has played seventeen games for the Catalans this season with twelve appearances in the La Liga, four in the Champions League and also featured in the Spanish Super Cup with three goals credit thus far.