Barcelona starlet Pau Cubarsi set to wear unique all-round protective head mask after suffering horror facial injury in Champions League clash

During Barcelona's Champions League victory over Crvena Zvezda, Cubarsi was forced off the pitch in the 67th minutes after a high challenge left him with deep cuts on the right side of his face, which required 10 stitches.

The nature of the injuries suggested that Cubarsi could be out for a while, with no usual face coverings providing the necessary protection for his unique injuries. However, the young Spaniard was seen wearing a customised head protector in training, indicating that he could well play a part in Barcelona's Sunday showdown with Real Sociedad.

After becoming an established member of the Barcelona first team last season aged just 16, Cubarsi has developed hugely as a defender this campaign, and has become one of their standout players in their domination of La Liga thus far.

Surprisingly physical for a player so young, and with a mean streak hidden by his youthful features, European football hasn't seen a young defender like Cubarsi in quite some time.

So the customised face protector provides a much-needed boost for Barcelona, who are already suffering something of an injury crisis in defence, with Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo both missing.

Fans are already likening the La Masia product's new look to that of Gambito from the recently released Deadpool & Wolverine movie, and if the defender can embody the physicality of his Hollywood counterpart, Barcelona should breeze through the game.

Cubarsi is the youngest player to ever debut in the Champions League knockout stages, as he took to the pitch for Barcelona's last-16 clash with Napoli in 2023-24 aged just 17 years and 50 days.

While it is unclear whether Cubarsi will play from the start of be given a run out as a substitute against Real Sociedad, his importance dictates that he will almost certainly receive some form of game time. La Real, sitting 11th in the league standings, shouldn't pose any significant threat to Barcelona, who are nine points clear at the top of La Liga.