Barcelona Defender Xavi Espart Out 8-10 Weeks with Knee Injury

On November 16th, 2025, Barcelona received disappointing news regarding one of their brightest young prospects. 18-year-old full-back Xavi Espart has picked up a knee injury that will rule him out for the next 8-10 weeks.

The injury occurred during Espart's participation in the latest Spanish U-19 training camp, where an awkward movement led to damage to the internal collateral ligament of his right knee. With the expected recovery time pushing his return well into January, the youngster's momentum has been abruptly halted just as he was beginning to break into Barcelona's first-team dynamic.

This blow comes during a particularly fragile moment for the Catalan club, as both the senior squad and Barcelona Atletic have seen multiple players sidelined by physical setbacks in recent months. Espart had become one of the academy's most promising talents thanks to his discipline, tactical maturity, and relentless intensity. There were plans to use him more frequently in the coming weeks to provide much-needed rest for Jules Kounde and allow Eric Garcia to remain in the center of defense. His versatility and reliability have made him a key option for a defense suffering from repeated injuries this season.