Spanish football champions Barcelona on Tuesday confirmed that Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic is suffering from an Achilles tendon injury on his left leg, but without stipulating how long he could be out of action.
Rakitic was a surprise omission from the side which was beaten 3-4 away against Celta Vigo on Sunday and on Monday the Croatian Football Federation confirmed he was not joining the national side for the forthcoming World Cup qualifying matches.
However, it was not until Tuesday that Barcelona confirmed their player was injured, reports Xinhua.
"Ivan Rakitic will not join with the Croatian national side because of some problems in the Achilles heel on his left leg. His progress will determine whether or not he plays in FC Barcelona's next games," said the FC Barcelona official website.
Barcelona are due to entertain Deportivo la Coruna when the La Liga returns to action on October 15, before entertaining Manchester City in what promises to be the decisive match of their Champions League group stage four days later on October 19.
--IANS
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