Barcelona's Dani Olmo sidelined for Benfica clash

The injury, while not severe, rules him out of the crucial European fixture in Lisbon. Depending on his recovery, there's a chance he could return for the La Liga match against Valencia on Sunday.

"The strain in Dani Olmo's right calf muscle means he is unavailable for the next match. His return to team activities will depend on how his recovery progresses," stated the medical bulletin released by Barcelona on Sunday midday.

Olmo first noticed discomfort after Saturday's 1-1 draw against Getafe.

Upon returning to Barcelona, medical tests confirmed the strain, preventing him from participating in the upcoming match.

In the game at Getafe, Olmo did not start but was brought on by manager Hansi Flick around the hour mark in place of Gavi.

Despite his efforts, Olmo was unable to find the winning goal for the Catalan side. His discomfort became evident at the match's conclusion.

On Monday, Flick announced the squad for the Benfica game just before the team departed for Lisbon. There were no surprises in the selection, with all available players making the trip.

Olmo's absence from the squad was confirmed, and his recovery timeline will dictate his return to the team.

Meanwhile, Ansu Fati, who missed recent call-ups, has been included in the squad for this match.

The full squad list for the Benfica encounter includes:

Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde, Ronald Araujo, Pablo Martin, Ferran Torres, Pedri, Robert Lewandowski, Ansu Fati, Raphinha, Inaki Pena, Pablo Torre, Andreas Christensen, Fermin Lopez, Marc Casado, Pau Victor, Lamine Yamal, Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia, Wojciech Szczesny, Mikayil Faye, Hector Fort, and Gerard Martin.