Ansu Fati: Barcelona forward facing four months out after knee surgery
Ansu Fati's surgery on his knee was a success, say Barcelona, but the teenager will not be back until March; The forward was injured against Real Betis on Sunday and replaced by Lionel Messi, who scored twice as Barca won 5-2 to end a four-game winless streak in the league
Monday 9 November 2020 16:45, UK
Barcelona have confirmed teenage forward Ansu Fati is facing four months out injured after undergoing knee surgery.
The 18-year-old picked up the injury on Sunday as Barcelona beat Real Betis 5-2 at the Nou Camp to end a four-game winless streak in the league.
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Barcelona said on Monday that the operation on Fati's ruptured meniscus, carried out by specialist Dr Ramon Cugat, was a success, but said his return would not come until approximately March.
It means Fati will be unavailable for Spain boss Luis Enrique over the international break when the national team play against the Netherlands in a friendly before taking on Switzerland and Germany in the Nations League.
Enrique gave Fati his first Spain call-up for the September internationals, and the teenager went on to become the youngest player to ever score for Spain - breaking a 95-year-old record - with a goal against Ukraine.
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Fati, who made his professional debut last season, has become a regular for Barcelona since the start of the campaign, scoring five goals and providing two assists in 10 appearances across all competitions.
Barcelona will not be short of forwards in Fati's absence, though, with Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele as senior options. Youngsters Pedri, 17, and Francisco Trincao, 20, have also proven themselves in the first-team this season.
Lionel Messi hits double against Betis from the bench
Lionel Messi responded to being benched with a second-half double as Barcelona ended a four-game winless streak in La Liga to beat Real Betis 5-2.
Barca's captain was surprisingly left out of the starting line-up by coach Ronald Koeman, whose side were pegged back by the break when Antonio Sanabria cancelled out Ousmane Dembele's superb opening strike on the stroke of half-time.
But Messi was brought on at the start of the second period and promptly produced a sublime dummy to allow Antoine Griezmann to tap into an unguarded net and put Barca back in front in the 49th minute.
The Frenchman had missed four chances before the break - including squandering a penalty - before making amends.
Messi, who had replaced Ansu Fati, then stretched their lead in the 61st minute by dispatching a spot-kick after Aissa Mandi was shown a straight red card - following a VAR review - for using his arm to block a shot from Dembele.
Betis set up a tense final 15 minutes when Loren slotted home from 10 yards, but Messi wrapped things up in the 82nd minute after a one-two with Sergi Roberto.
The playmaker was denied his hat-trick by an offside flag before midfielder Pedri added a fifth in stoppage time - the teenager's first goal in La Liga.
