FC Barcelona suffered two important injuries in its 0-0 draw away to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday night.

Frenkie de Jong had to be carried off the pitch in the first half after landing badly and twisting his right ankle, while Pedri left the pitch in tears just before halftime after suffering a muscle injury in his right thigh.

Frenkie de Jong (R) of Barcelona vies with Alvaro Morata of Atletico de Madrid during a La Liga football match between FC Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Dec. 3, 2023. (Photo by Joan Gosa/Xinhua)

It is the third muscle injury that Pedri has suffered this season and means he will also be unavailable for Spain for the next international break.

"We will see how they are between today [Sunday] and tomorrow [Monday]," said a downbeat Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez after the game. "I imagine they will miss several games."

De Jong and Pedri are key players for Barcelona and their presence in midfield is one of the main factors in making Xavi's side tick.

It is no surprise that their return to the side a month ago after their previous injuries coincided with an upturn in Barca's form, after the struggles that led Xavi to announce he would step down at the end of the season.

Now Pedri and De Jong seem certain to miss at least the next two league games, which are at home to Mallorca and a difficult visit to Atletico Madrid.

Barca's most important match before the international break is the return leg of its last-16 UEFA Champions League tie with Napoli next week. Barca impressed in a 1-1 draw in the first leg and needs to qualify for the quarterfinals, not only for the club's status and pride, but also because the club's budget for the season is based partly on the earnings from qualifying for the last eight.

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