Barcelona suffered a fresh blow in the Clásico against Real Madrid when Chavi Espart limped off in the 29th minute of the first half. The pain left him unable to carry on, forcing Hansi Flick to turn to Alejandro Baldé.
Named in the starting line-up, Espart had impressed early on before a collision with Aurélien Tchouaméni left him struggling to move.
The young full-back tried to push through the discomfort and help his side. His condition only worsened. Chasing down Yan Diomande, he hit the ground and could not continue, and the coaching staff pulled him off to avoid making the injury worse.
Flick acted fast. Baldé came on and the roles reshuffled across both flanks, the substitute slotting in at left-back while João Cancelo switched to the right.
Losing Espart is a real setback for Barcelona. The youngster had earned his chance to start and made the most of every minute he was on the pitch.
Medical examinations will now determine the exact nature of the injury and how long he could be sidelined.