Johnny Cardoso's La Liga return for Atletico Madrid lasts just 14 minutes as USMNT star suffers cruel new injury blow against Barcelona

Cardoso was handed a big chance to impress against Barcelona after being named in Diego Simeone's starting XI for the match. The USMNT star has made only four starts for Atletico so far this season, having previously been sidelined with an ankle injury, and will have been aiming to impress against the Catalan giants. However, it proved to be another disappointing evening for the 24-year-old, who was forced off early and looks to now be facing more time out. Atletico confirmed that the midfielder had suffered a knee injury, posting on X: "Johnny was substituted during the first half due to a hard knock to the knee."

Cardoso's injury wasn't the only disappointment for Atletico as they went on to lose the game 3-1 and end a run of seven straight wins in all competitions. An early goal from Alex Baena had put the visitors 1-0 up, but Barcelona hit back through strikes from Raphinha, Olmo and Ferran Torres to secure the win.

Atletico boss Simeone admitted he had been forced to adjust his tactics after the early departure of Cardoso. He told reporters: "Cardoso’s injury forced us to adjust. We had high hopes for Johnny, but he got injured and had to leave the game." Atletico must now wait and see the severity of Cardoso's injury and when he will be able to return to action for Los Colchoneros.

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Cardoso has spoken of his injury frustrations after making his long-awaited return last time out against Inter in the Champions League. He told ESPN Brasil: "Yes, now I feel very good, but as you said, it was a difficult moment. It was the ankle injury that kept me off the field the longest. I’d never been sidelined for that much time before. As I can say, it happened right at the start of my time here—a complicated situation to handle. But I had all the support from my teammates, the coaching staff, and obviously, my family was with me. It’s a moment where you have to keep a strong mentality, keep working, and recover well. It was a complicated injury that took time to heal. So I was eager to get back as quickly as possible, but I also knew I had to be smart about it so that when I returned, I could contribute and perform at my best on the field with the team."

Cardoso's appearance for Atletico against Barcelona was his first in La Liga since starting the 1-1 draw with Alaves back in August. The midfielder's only other appearances this season have come against Elche and Espanyol in La Liga and Inter in the Champions League. Yet Atletico have demonstrated their faith in the USMNT star by handing him a new long-term contract back in October that keeps him tied to the club until 2030.

While his future at Atletico looks secure despite his recent injury problems, his lack of game time means his place in the USMNT squad for World Cup 2026 is far from secure. Cardoso has only managed four appearances for the national team in 2025 and missed all six of the USMNT's fall friendlies due to injury.

Cardoso is set to undergo tests on his injury and will be hoping to avoid more time spent on the sidelines. Atletico return to La Liga action on Saturday against Athletic Club and finish off 2025 with fixtures against Valencia and Girona in La Liga and PSV in the Champions League.

In the meantime, the USMNT will discover who they will face in the group stages of World Cup 2026 on Friday when the draw is made. The Stars and Stripes have this week confirmed they will play pre-tournament friendlies against Belgium, Portugal and Germany.