Barca staff optimistic about Gundogan's return from injury

Barcelona have had nothing but a bit of bad luck with injuries over the last few years, and that trend has continued into this new season. Ronald Araujo and Pedri - two key players - are already out for the next few weeks with muscle injuries, and the club were affected by another issue on Tuesday evening.

Experienced midfielder Ilkay Gundogan appeared to suffer a back injury during Germany's friendly victory over France, which forced him to be replaced in the first half. He left the field in tears, sparking concerns over a serious issue.

Gundogan said goodbye to his Man City family over the phone

Fortunately, Germany's caretaker head coach Rudi Voller confirmed that Gundogan had not broken any bones, which means a non-serious injury for the veteran.

The player has returned to Barcelona, and the Catalan club will conduct their own testing to discover the extent of Gundogan's injury. According to the Barcelona-based newspaper Sport, they are optimistic that evertything should be all right.

Barcelona will probably not risk Gundogan's condition at Saturday's match against Real Betis, especially with their Champions League campaign getting underway a few days later. It remains to be seen whether he'll be fit for either fixture.