Barcelona wonderkid Xavi Espart has sustained an injury to his right ankle joint and is expected to be sidelined for seven weeks..

Barcelona announced the unfortunate news on their official website on Tuesday, confirming that their Spain U21s international defender wonderkid Xavi Espart has sustained an injury to his right ankle joint and is expected to be sidelined for seven weeks.

According to the Barcelona’s official statement, the player has already undergone surgery and will now follow a prescribed medical recovery plan. 

This explains his recent absence from the squad that traveled to London for the Ballon d'Or ceremony, where he would have otherwise been present to support teammate Lamine Yamal.

During this recovery period, he will miss Barcelona’s next nine matches, including a La Liga away fixture against Atlético Madrid next month, as well as Champions League clashes with Aston Villa and Manchester City.

Espart's injury occurred last weekend during the El Clásico match against arch-rivals Real Madrid at the Camp Nou. In the 29th minute, the player suddenly sat down on the pitch, clutching his leg in visible pain.

He was replaced shortly thereafter by Alejandro Balde.

About Xavi Espart

Espart, who is only still 19 years old, was born on May 21, 2007, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He is 1.75 meters tall and primarily plays as a right wing-back but can also play as a left wing-back or a defensive midfielder.

Espart joined Barcelona's renowned La Masia youth academy at the age of eight. He began representing the B team in 2024 and completed his first-team debut in a UEFA Champions League knockout stage match against Newcastle United in March 2026.

Since his debut, so far, Espart has made 15 appearances for Blaugrana across all competitions, scoring two goals, providing two assists, and has won one La Liga title with the team.

Image source: Internet / Mundo Deportivo