Barcelona rule Rodri out of Atlético Madrid clash after tests confirm minor right hamstring injury

Barcelona confirmed on Wednesday that midfielder Rodri suffered a minor right hamstring injury late in the first half of Tuesday’s 3-0 Champions League win over Aston Villa, an issue that emerged ahead of Sunday’s LaLiga meeting with Atlético Madrid.

He was withdrawn at halftime for treatment and underwent medical tests during Wednesday’s recovery session.

Rodri asked to be substituted late in the first half and, to prevent further damage, the 30-year-old was taken off at the interval and replaced by Marc Bernal.

Hansi Flick also removed Pedri and Raphinha from the match as part of his selections with the Atlético game in mind.

“We’ll see how he is tomorrow. He was also tired, and I wanted to make the change,” Flick said after the Villa match.

Club examinations confirmed a minor injury to his right hamstring and Barcelona have ruled him out of next Sunday’s match; the club has not provided a timetable for his recovery.

Rodrigo Hernández has accumulated 945 minutes across 14 appearances this season after completing his move from Manchester City, a workload the club described as making him one of Flick’s most dependable players.

During the Aston Villa match the midfielder complained of soreness in his right hamstring, prompting medical staff to remove him at the break.

Barcelona’s 3-0 victory over Aston Villa delivered the club’s first clean sheet in 18 European games, a result Flick praised while addressing Rodri’s fitness concerns.

The LaLiga fixture against Atlético Madrid is scheduled for Sunday at the Metropolitano Stadium and Barcelona will be without Rodri; tests are complete but the club has not announced an expected return date.