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After the defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in their last UEFA Champions League game, FC Barcelona returned to winning ways in the European competition as they faced the Premier League side Aston Villa at the Spotify Camp Nou and beat them 3-0.
With this win, the Blaugranes have moved second in the UCL table, behind only PSG. Furthermore, this was the first time in months that the Catalans were able to keep a clean sheet in a UCL game, and Hansi Flick was full of praise for the defensive effort of his team in his post-match press conference.
However, this win came at a cost for Barcelona, one which could prove to be quite dear. As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the star midfielder Rodri Hernandez suffered discomfort in his right hamstring, and asked for a substitution. As a result, he did not return to the pitch after the half-time break, and was substituted by Marc Bernal.
During the half-time break, the Spaniard talked with Hansi Flick and the first team doctors, and it was decided that the best way forward would be to keep him on the bench for the second half of the game.
Today, the midfielder will undergo detailed tests and the club will assess the extent of his injury. This will be a particularly concerning time for the Blaugranes, as Rodri’s participation in the upcoming crucial game against the second-placed Atletico Madrid is now in doubt.
However, his absence in the second half against Aston Villa did not end up affecting Barcelona too much. Marc Bernal put in a good performance to ensure the visitors’ attackers were not able to threaten the Blaugrana goal too much.
Still, Hansi Flick will be very keen to have Rodri back available to face his former team Atletico Madrid, and will be hoping that the Spaniard is not suffering from anything too serious ahead of this match.