Football
Sam Marsden, Barcelona correspondent 7y

Jeremy Mathieu joins Barcelona's list of injured centre-backs

Barcelona have been dealt more bad news in defence with the confirmation that Jeremy Mathieu suffered a calf injury in Tuesday's 1-0 Catalan Super Cup defeat to Espanyol.

The French centre-back, who lost out to Felipe Caicedo in the game's defining moment, was taken off at the start of the second half after complaining of a problem.

Barca released a statement after the game explaining that Mathieu will undergo tests on his calf at the training ground on Wednesday to determine the seriousness of the knock.

While Mathieu is first not regularly first choice, the Catalan side can ill-afford any more absences in defence.

They are already without Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba for the coming weeks, with the two players suffering from ankle and hamstring problems respectively.

On top of that, right-back Aleix Vidal, who has not featured since September's loss to Alaves, withdrew from Tuesday's Super Cup game with an abductor injury.

Barca meet Granada on Saturday at Camp Nou in La Liga and face the prospect of going into that game with Javier Mascherano and Samuel Umtiti as their only fit central defenders.

That game is followed by the Champions League visit to Manchester City -- for which Mathieu is suspended anyway -- and an away game against second-placed Sevilla in the league.

Defender Marlon Santos, who's on a season-long loan from Fluminense, impressed in preseason and also looked at home against Espanyol on Tuesday.

If Luis Enrique is left short in the middle of his back line, he could be forced to use the Brazilian in the coming weeks.

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