Barcelona defender out for five weeks with injury

Barcelona will miss the services of their Portuguese full-back Nelson Semedo for the next five weeks, the club announced. The defender went down with a left hamstring injury in their last La Liga game – a 6-1 thumping of Girona on Saturday night.

 “The club’s medical services department has confirmed that first team player Nelson Semedo has suffered an injury to his left hamstring. Further testing carried out has indicated that he will be out for approximately five weeks,” the club said in a statement on Sunday.

Semedo started the Girona game, replacing right-back Sergi Roberto – who was presumably rested ahead of their crucial Round of 16 tie against Chelsea.

The La Liga leaders were forced to finish the game with 10 men as they had already made all three of their substitutions. That, however, didn’t prove to be such a big task as a hat-trick from Luis Suarez combined with a brace from Lionel Messi and a goal from Philippe Coutinho had already ensured a five-goal cushion for the Catalans.

The 24-year-old who arrived from Benfica in the summer is now ex to miss two important games; a La Liga gane against second-placed Atletico Madrid on March 4, followed by Chelsea’s visit to Camp Nou for the second leg of the Round of 16 Champions League clash.

The youngster has only made 11 starts for Barca this season and won’t be making his 12^th before April.