Barcelona announces absence of player Chavi Espar for seven weeks due to injury

Madrid -- Spanish football club Barcelona announced on Monday that defender Chavi Esbart will be sidelined for approximately seven weeks after it was confirmed that he suffered an injury to his right ankle in the previous match. The club stated in a press release on its official website that medical examinations confirmed Esbart’s right ankle injury resulted from a collision with a Real Madrid player during Sunday’s match between the two sides. Esbart was forced to leave the Spotify Camp Nou pitch just 29 minutes into the game after a strong challenge from Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni on his ankle, which had been causing him slight discomfort prior to the match. The encounter between the two giants of Spanish football ended in a 2-1 victory for Real Madrid, marking their first Clásico of the current season. (End) H.N.D./N.S.A.