Tonkara ankle injury interrupts Barcelona Atletic breakthrough

Barcelona’s 16-year-old prospect Ibrahima Tonkara is expected to be sidelined for about five weeks after suffering a serious ankle injury, dealing a setback to his preparations for an important season with Barcelona Atletic.

Tonkara underwent medical tests on Monday morning after being forced off during Barcelona Atletic’s friendly against Vilanova. The examinations confirmed that he faces a recovery period of approximately five weeks, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The injury is likely to rule Tonkara out of around the first five matches of the campaign. He could be considered for a return at the beginning of October, although his immediate focus will be on rehabilitation.

That timing is particularly frustrating for the young midfielder, who had been expected to play an important role for Barcelona Atletic this season. His progress during pre-season had attracted considerable attention, both within the club and from head coach Hansi Flick.

Tonkara trained with the reserve team on Friday after completing his involvement in the first-team preparations. In recent weeks, Flick had given him the opportunity to feature in three friendly matches, allowing the teenager to demonstrate his ability at senior level.

He also appeared in the Joan Gamper Trophy while wearing the Barcelona academy shirt. Those opportunities helped establish Tonkara as one of the club’s most promising young players and strengthened the belief that he could move closer to the first team in the future.

Despite his age, Tonkara made a strong impression on Flick during pre-season. The German coach was impressed by the player’s performances in training and in the friendly matches, contributing to his growing status within Barcelona’s development structure.

The ankle problem therefore comes just as Tonkara was beginning to build momentum. Barcelona had been counting on him to become one of the key figures in Barcelona Atletic’s squad, but his progress will now be paused while he recovers from the injury.

Tonkara has also previously attracted interest from several European clubs, which attempted to persuade him to leave Barcelona. However, the player and his representatives remained committed to the Catalan club’s project.

Barcelona, for its part, considers Tonkara one of the leading talents in its system and believes he has the potential to reach the first team. His recent involvement with Flick’s squad had reinforced that assessment, making the latest injury a disappointing interruption to what had been a highly encouraging period for the teenager.