Barcelona’s Ebrima Tunkara facing six-week absence after ankle injury

Barcelona prospect Ebrima Tunkara is expected to miss six weeks after suffering an injury to the ligaments in his left ankle, the club announced on Monday.

The 18-year-old Barca Atletic player was hurt during his side’s match against CF Vilanova on Sunday. Barcelona confirmed the diagnosis in a statement published through the social media account of its reserve team.

“Barca Atletic player Ebrima Tunkara has a traumatic ligament injury to his left ankle, sustained during Sunday’s match against CF Vilanova. The approximate time he will be out is six weeks.”

The setback comes at an important stage in Tunkara’s development. He had been viewed as one of the players expected to play a significant role for Barca Atletic this season and is now likely to miss approximately the team’s first five matches.

A return at the beginning of October is considered possible, although his recovery will determine when he is able to resume training and competitive football.

Tunkara had returned to the reserve team’s training schedule on Friday after completing his involvement in the first-team pre-season preparations. He had attracted considerable attention in recent weeks after Hansi Flick gave him the opportunity to feature in three friendly matches.

The young player also appeared for Barcelona’s academy side in the Joan Gamper Trophy, further raising his profile within the club.

Flick was impressed by Tunkara’s displays in both training and the pre-season games. That exposure strengthened the teenager’s standing as one of the most promising players in Barcelona’s system and as a potential future candidate for promotion to the first team.

The injury therefore interrupts a period in which Tunkara had been making progress towards senior football. Barcelona had been relying on him to become an important member of Barca Atletic during the campaign, but he will now spend a significant part of the opening weeks on the sidelines.

Tunkara had previously attracted interest from several European clubs, who attempted to persuade him to leave Barcelona. However, the player and those around him remained committed to the Catalan club’s project.

Barcelona, for its part, considers Tunkara one of its leading young talents and believes he has the ability to reach the first team in the future. His performances during pre-season had reinforced that view before Sunday’s ankle injury brought his immediate progress to a halt.