Barcelona's reaction to Osasuna appeal against LaLiga rule break comes to light: Reports
Barcelona are reportedly calm about Osasuna's appeal against them on a potential LaLiga rule break during their clash on March 27. The Catalans won 3-0 against Osasuna at home, which left them at the top of the table with 63 points off 28 games.
On March 28, Osasuna filed a complaint with RFEF (Spanish Football Federation) against Barca, claiming they could not have played centre-back Inigo Martinez in the LaLiga fixture. In their statement, the club mentioned that Martinez's participation in the game violates one of FIFA's regulations. This bans a player from playing for their club for five calendar days from the end of the international break if they left their national team for medical reasons.
For context, Inigo Martinez had returned early from the Spain national team during the latest international break due to a right knee injury. Yet, he played the full 90 minutes against Osasuna on March 27, which seemingly violated FIFA's guidelines.
However, according to a report by Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are not worried about Osasuna's complaint against them. The Catalans are not paying attention to it and believe it does not hold much strength. Journalist Gerard Romero also reported along the same lines.
La Blaugrana will next gear up to face Girona in LaLiga on March 30, with each of their remaining league games being crucial for them to win it. They are three points clear of second-placed Real Madrid on the table, with another Clasico on the cards in May.
Barcelona star Dani Olmo to miss three weeks with fresh injury concern: Reports
In an official statement on March 28, Barcelona confirmed that key player Dani Olmo is set to be out for three weeks due to injuries. Tests conducted in the morning confirmed that Olmo sustained an injury in his right abductor during the Catalans' clash against Osasuna on March 27.
The Osasuna clash was originally supposed to be held on March 8. However, it was postponed due to the death of Barcelona's first team doctor, Carles Minarro Garcia, hours before the game. RFEF rescheduled the game to March 27.
Both teams appealed for it to be postponed further due to the unavailability of multiple players due to the international break. However, the RFEF rejected the appeal. As a result, Barca missed multiple key players, including Ronald Araujo and Raphinha, who needed rest after the international break.
Further, Pau Cubarsi was also unavailable due to injury concerns picked up during international duty. With Dani Olmo's fresh injury concerns, the Spaniard could miss both legs of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Borussia Dortmund.
