Barcelona have been dealt a significant setback after a top star was ruled out for five weeks with a serious ankle injury.
Having spent the entire pre-season training under Hansi Flick and turning heads with impressive performances for the first-team—including making his Spotify Camp Nou debut during the Joan Gamper Trophy—the highly-rated starlet had been seamlessly bridging the gap between La Masia and senior football.
However, after dropping down to gain valuable match minutes in a friendly with Barça Atlètic over the weekend, the teenage midfielder suffered a heavy blow to his ankle that forced him off the pitch early.
Comprehensive medical examinations conducted on Monday confirmed the full extent of the damage, delivering a harsh blow to both his momentum and the club’s immediate plans for the reserve setup.
The player sidelined by this unfortunate injury is 16-year-old wonderkid Ebrima Tunkara, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
The highly coveted midfielder had emerged as one of the standout revelations of pre-season, earning explicit praise from Flick for his exceptional maturity, vision, and technical prowess.
He has been forced to withdraw from the Spain Under-18 squad for their upcoming friendly tournament in Alfaz del Pi, where fellow academy prospect Michal Żuk has been called up to take his place.
Barcelona view Tunkara as one of the most complete modern midfielders in their youth pipeline, having already staved off interest from several top European clubs to retain his commitment.
The medical team remains optimistic that his rehabilitation will stay on schedule, targeting a full competitive return for the first weekend of October against Tudelano.
For now, the focus will turn entirely to his recovery as Barcelona carefully manage the development of one of their brightest tactical assets.
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