Spain’s national team has two potentially decisive matches coming up in the World Cup qualifiers, against Georgia and Bulgaria. However, they will have to play without a key player who has been withdrawn due to physical issues — and who could also miss El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid.
“Dani Olmo will not be able to play against Georgia in Elche or against Bulgaria in Valladolid due to injury,” the Royal Spanish Football Federation announced Friday in a statement shared on social media. “The player arrived at camp on Monday showing signs of muscle fatigue.”
While Spain confirmed that Olmo had shown improvement over the week, his recovery took a step backward: “Today, he was scheduled to complete only a portion of the planned training session, during which he reported muscle discomfort in his left leg.”
That unexpected development triggered alarm bells and prompted the medical staff to act with caution. “Additional tests were carried out and a muscle injury was diagnosed. The medical team at FC Barcelona has been informed,” the statement added.
What’s next for Olmo?
Following the confirmed injury, Spain ruled out Olmo for the World Cup qualifiers. “The player will begin his recovery with the national team staff and will return to Barcelona tomorrow, while the rest of the squad travels to Elche for the match against Georgia,” the statement continued.
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In Barcelona, additional tests are expected to be carried out on Monday. However, Mundo Deportivo reports that the Catalan side is already preparing for Olmo to miss the upcoming matches against Girona in La Liga and Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League.
Will Olmo be available for El Clasico vs Real Madrid?
After the international break, Barcelona face a demanding schedule that includes the clash against Girona on Saturday, October 18, the home match against Olympiacos three days later, and then El Clasico against Real Madrid the following Sunday — the first of the 2025-26 season.
Awaiting the final results of the medical exams, Barcelona are closely monitoring the severity of Dani Olmo’s injury. If it turns out to be a muscle tear, he would be ruled out of the clash with Real Madrid. But if it’s a milder strain, the 16 days remaining before El Clasico might be enough for him to recover.
Another issue between Spain and Barcelona
Dani Olmo’s injury comes at a particularly sensitive moment. In recent weeks, Barcelona and the Spain national team have been at odds over a similar situation involving Lamine Yamal.
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The young winger joined Spain for the September international break, and after playing in two matches, returned to his club with physical discomfort. That issue sidelined him for the next four La Liga matches, and after a brief return — which included the Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain — Yamal suffered a setback and remains out of action.
The situation created tension between Hansi Flick and Luis De La Fuente. The Barcelona coach expressed frustration with his counterpart, believing Spain failed to protect Yamal’s physical condition. De La Fuente, on the other hand, downplayed the matter with a striking comment: “I’m not even interested.”
