Barcelona star injured again: Is his future at stake?

FC Barcelona have sacked Ronald Koeman after back-to-back losses in La Liga against Real Madrid on Sunday and Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday. As if the overall mood at the Camp Nou could not be made worse, the knee injury on star forward Ansu Fati is raising concerns about his lon-term health.

Ansu was expected to be the hero in El Clasico against the club's biggest rivals, but the 18-year-old was kept mostly silent by the Real Madrid defence. In fact, Barcelona were only able to score a consolation goal when Sergio Aguero came in to replace the teenager.

After the match, the club announced that Ansu suffered a knock on his knee, and he did not travel with the squad to visit Rayo Vallecano. Their subsequent defeat led to Koeman's sacking, and the club is now looking for a suitable replacement who will be tasked with salvaging the season.

The question is, how much more of a part can Ansu play in the coming months? Barcelona downplayed the situation, assuring fans by not giving a lengthy timeline for the player's comeback.

"The first team player Ansu Fati has pain in his right knee. He is unavailable for selection and his recovery will dictate his return," Barcelona said, in a statement over Twitter.

What makes the situation serious is the fact that Ansu was out for nearly a year since suffering a knee injury at almost the same time last season. He had been on a stellar run for Barcelona last year, before being sidelined to undergo surgery.

He made an immediate impact upon his return 11 months later, with Barcelona immediately locking him down to a lengthy new contract until 2027. However, with his latest injury, it appears as though Barcelona may have taken a big risk.

With a release clause worth 1 billion euros, they will have a difficult time offloading the player if he unfortunately fails to stay healthy. His age works to his advantage, but another knee injury just weeks after a comeback is a situation that can't be ignored.

Expectations are high for the youngster, who inherited Lionel Messi's number 10 jersey. Club authorities will now be hoping that the injury is minor, and the player can return to the pitch quickly to live up to the expectations.