A key Barcelona star faces a devastating ten-month layoff after suffering a complete rupture of the right knee ligament.
The diagnosis emerged from urgent medical assessments following a traumatic on-pitch incident that saw the player collapse in visible agony, clutching his knee after an awkward challenge that immediately raised alarms across the club, with stretcher-bearers sprinting on amid stunned silence from teammates and a palpable sense of dread that this could derail not just individual momentum but broader tactical blueprints reliant on emerging talent integration.
The player is Sama Nomoko, the 17-year-old prodigy whose torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee will sideline him for roughly 10 months post-surgery, shattering what was shaping up as a breakout campaign with explosive pace and directness that had caught senior scouts’ attention, as reported by Diario Sport.
Nomoko crumpled in the 35th minute of Barcelona’s UEFA Youth League clash against Eintracht Frankfurt at Estadi Johan Cruyff, his horrific screams echoing as he was stretchered off in tears after colliding with Yannis Ahouannou, with club medics confirming the rupture via scans.
Despite the 4-3 victory for his Juvenil A side—marked by a dramatic comeback from 3-1 down—the injury’s shadow loomed large, prompting support from first-team peers like Marc Bernal, himself an ACL veteran, who posted “Stay strong” messages reflecting the shared trauma of such recoveries.
Nomoko, a Malian gem under coach Juliano Belletti, had tallied 2 goals and 4 assists in 14 Barça Atlètic outings, positioning him as a potential right-wing option amid Raphinha’s workload.
ACL timelines demand 9-12 months for full return, eyeing a March 2026 comeback that could miss reserve promotion and senior breakthroughs during Barcelona’s treble push.
The club unites behind Nomoko, whose mental fortitude will be tested, but this tragedy spotlights football’s brutal unpredictability—one moment erasing months of progress.
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