Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen to miss 3-4 weeks with injury

Christensen picked up a calf injury during Denmark's Euro 2024 qualifier against Finland, which forced him to retire after just 18 minutes of play. The severity of the injury was immediately apparent from the defender's distressed expression as he left the pitch.

The injury means that Christensen will miss crucial fixtures for Barcelona, including the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Real Madrid.

The loss of the defender is a significant blow to coach Xavi Hernandez, who has been impressed with Christensen's performances during his first season with Barcelona.

Xavi is already dealing with the absence of Ronald Araujo, who is out with an adductor problem, and has withdrawn from the Uruguay squad for friendlies in Asia. These injuries are likely to force Xavi to reconfigure his defence, which has been one of the strongest aspects of Barcelona's game this season, with just nine goals conceded in La Liga.

Jules Kounde may be moved to central defence to fill the void left by Christensen's absence, while Eric Garcia and Marcos Alonso could also see more game time due to the injuries.