Barcelona forward butting heads with club on surgery decision

FC Barcelona and Ansu Fati are not seeing eye-to-eye when it comes to making a decision on what to do about his latest injury. The club is keen on having the striker undergo yet another surgery after picking up a hamstring injury in midweek, but the player is understood to be opposed to the idea.

The 19-year-old was forced to walk off the pitch in tears during extra time when Barcelona was eliminated by Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey earlier this week. Fati's face made it clear that he knew his latest injury is serious and that some big decisions have to be made.

According to Marca, a meeting was held between Fati's family and Barcelona's medical team and coaching staff on Saturday. The discussion involved all the "pros and cons of having surgery," but a course of action has not yet been finalised.

A final decision is expected to be reached by Monday, and it remains to be seen which side will have its way. Fati is understood to be physically and mentally down at the moment, especially with this latest injury potentially keeping him out for about three months. If he chooses to go under the knife once more, then his recovery time may be even longer, effectively ending his season.

That means Ansu Fati may endure almost two seasons worth of time in the sidelines since making his official debut for Barcelona in 2019. In 2020, when the club was already facing an internal crisis brought about in part by their financial problems, Fati was a rare shining light on the pitch. He stood out when Lionel Messi was struggling to find his rhythm after the infamous "burofax" incident.

Unfortunately, Fati's fireworks were intense but short-lived. He suffered a long-term knee injury in late 2020, which kept him out for almost a year. He returned a few months into the 2021-22 season, only to suffer recurring issues with his knee and hamstring.

Barcelona want to find a way to finally put the injuries behind the player, with surgery and a specific training program in the works. He has only made 10 appearances this season, and with the loss of Sergio Aguero, Antoine Griezmann and potentially also Ousmane Dembele, Xavi desperately needs to find a solution.

He has just signed a new long-term contract with the club, and they want to make sure that they are able to capitalise on the investment. For now, the club may need to become more aggressive in the transfer window in order to fill the gap. They have their eyes set on Alvaro Morata, but the Dembele contract situation needs to be sorted in order to free up some cash.