Memphis Depay will be absent from FC Barcelona tonight due to an injury in the cup match against Athletic Club from Bilbao. His hamstring is overloaded and the Dutchman has not been included in the match selection, the Spanish club reports. It is not clear how long Depay (27) will be sidelined.
Ousmane Dembele, who was acquired from Borussia Dortmund for 135 million euros in 2017, is also missing from the selection. The 24-year-old Frenchman refuses to renew his contract that expires next summer and Barcelona therefore want to sell him this winter.
,,Dembélé must leave immediately,” said sporting director Mateu Alemany via the club channels of the Catalans. “Either the player extends his contract or we look for another club,” coach Xavi said at a press conference yesterday. Recently, the attacker has been in action for Barcelona. ,,Either the player extends his contract or we look for another club. There is no other solution,” said Xavi.
The 24-year-old Dembele came over from Borrussia Dortmund in 2017 for an amount of 105 million euros. His contract expires at the end of June. The French attacker was often injured during his period at Barcelona; he scored 31 goals in 129 games played. ,,He wants to stay, but there is still no agreement, so as a club we have to make a decision: it is extending and leaving differently. It’s a shame because he’s played every possible minute since I took over.”
Xavi’s team will play against the Basques in the eighth finals of the Copa del Rey tonight. Frenkie de Jong and Sergiño Dest are in the selection. That does not apply to Luuk de Jong.
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